Elochoman bank restored with the help of conservation district

In 2019, my wife and I decided we needed to do something about the cut bank along our section of the Elochoman River that was sloughing off with each winter flood, dropping big chunks of dirt and grass into the river. Worried about losing more land and the sediment being deposited in the river, we looked around for help in dealing with this problem. Additionally, we had a serious problem with Japanese knotweed that was spreading along the riverbank.

We were aware of the Wahkiakum Conservation District, which, is a State funded, locally run agency that partners, on a voluntary basis, with local people who have an interest in managing soil, water, and other resources for future generations. The District assists landowners in getting the financial help, technical resources, and information they need to achieve their conservation goals. We called the office and arranged to have the District Manager, Darin Houpt, make a site visit. We explained our concerns and goals when Darin came to visit. He said this is what the Conservation District is designed to do!

He patiently explained how we could mitigate what the creek was doing, improve fish habitat, and qualify for funding to help pay for the work. Not only could our problem be fixed, but, if successful in obtaining a grant, the work would be done at minimal cost. This was much more than what we expected.

The Wahkiakum Conservation District developed a project plan and funding proposal for us to review and approve. Later that year, our project had been funded and the work was scheduled to begin in 2020. Without going into the details, the project was successfully completed the next summer and we immediately saw results. The knotweed was virtually eliminated through treatment by the Conservation District crews, six log structures were installed that directed water flow into the middle of the channel to scour the silt out of the gravel beds, and our riverbank sloughing was stopped. Shortly after the equipment left the site, we saw fish spawning in a new side channel and fish rising to catch flies in some of the deeper pools scoured out by logs.

The Conservation District is working on several projects throughout the Skamokawa Creek and Elochoman River watersheds, and I tell this story so other county residents will know that landowners can seek assistance in solving natural resource issues on their lands. Conservation Districts have been around for almost 90 years nationally, with the Wahkiakum District being formed in 1942.

Originally the Conservation Districts were founded during the Dust Bowl Era to help farmers with soil and water issues, now they help landowners with a wide range of natural resource issues on their land. In Washington, Conservation Districts are public entities authorized under State law to serve a non-regulatory role and every county in Washington is covered by a district. The work of our local Conservation District is overseen by five voluntary supervisors who work and live in the County. Technical services are provided to landowners for free and only upon their request. As a focal point for landowner assistance, the Conservation District has built relationships with many State and Federal agencies, allowing staff to assist landowners in gaining access to programs from multiple agencies. This may allow leveraging of funds resulting in low-cost solutions for landowners, such as offered on our project. There are many resource issues that we are facing in Wahkiakum County. The voluntary, non-regulatory approach of helping landowners offered by the Wahkiakum Conservation District is a great way to make progress.

I encourage landowners looking for assistance with a natural resource issue on their land to contact the Wahkiakum Conservation District at 360-795-8240.