February 2025 Newsletter

The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership is proud to be a National Estuary Program. In 1987, Congress amended section 320 of the Clean Water Act to create the National Estuary Program. The National Estuary Program encompasses 28 organizations which serve as place-based entities that safeguard the country's most significant coastal ecosystems, along with the communities and economies that depend on them.

As an organization, we take great pride in our connection with the federal Clean Water Act and our work to reduce toxins in the fish we eat, restore habitats that boost salmon populations while protecting communities from flooding, and provide hands-on science lessons for students.

However, our connection to the Clean Water Act left us vulnerable to multiple directives from the federal administration issued over the past several weeks. Millions of dollars of federal grants were paused. The complete restoration of these Congressionally appropriated funds took an entire week – a week that exhausted our staff and worried the many contractors who we rely on to accomplish our work.

Today, our funds have been fully restored but the fear has not been extinguished. Our connection to the Clean Water Act – once a source of great pride – is now a potential liability to our organization and to the progress we have made over the past 30 years. But we are carrying on. We have fantastic support from the Congressional members who represent our lower Columbia communities, a phenomenally talented staff, and steadfast partners who make our work possible.

Please consider making a donation today to support our work – your tax-deductible donation provides a critical buffer as we plan for an uncertain future. In the weeks and months to come, we may reach out again with specific requests about how you can support the Estuary Partnership. Thank you for being engaged in our locally driven efforts to restore the health of the Columbia River.

In partnership,

E. Elaine Placido, DPA, Executive Director 

Big Canoes gets an off-season glow up

Our Big Canoes are the heart of our student and community education program. Paddling on the Willamette River, Vancouver Lake, or the Tualatin River in a 29’ bright orange canoe with friends or classmates makes for an unforgettable learning experience. But all that time on the water and in the sun takes its toll on our beloved Big Canoes. So, this winter we sent them to Schooner Creek Boat Works for a little TLC.

At the shop, our Big Canoes got buffed and waxed, bringing their bright orange color back from many years on the water and in the sun. Receiving this treatment not only brightens their color, it helps protects them from the elements.

After the buff and wax, our belted kingfisher and red-tailed hawk graphics, and Estuary Partnership logo were replaced on the bow and stern of the Big Canoes, making them look good as new!

Our Big Canoe program will launch into another season in April for schools and community groups, continuing with paddle programs through summer and early fall. Our Big Canoe glow up is made possible by the support from Metro’s Central Community Enhancement grant program.

Volunteer to plant native trees and shrubs 

Join the Estuary Partnership for a fun, family-friendly volunteer event where you’ll plant native trees and shrubs to restore a local greenspace, improve water quality, and create habitat for birds and other wildlife. 

During these events, volunteers will learn about native plants, including how to identify and install them for optimal growth. It’s also a great way to explore a local natural area. 

These volunteer opportunities include a 10–20-minute talk on trails with uneven surfaces. Gloves and tools are provided. Long-sleeved shirts, pants, sturdy shoes, and other weather-appropriate clothing are strongly recommended. 

For more information, please visit the event registration page. If you have any questions, contact the Estuary Partnership’s Volunteer Coordinator, Sam Dumont, at SDumont@estuarypartnership.org. 

In addition to your volunteer effort, these events are made possible with the support of the Washington Department of Ecology, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Clark County, One Tree Planted, the USFWS Urban Wildlife Conservation Program, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Promise the Pod Program.

Fox Creek revitalization effort underway thanks to community volunteers 

Fox Creek is one of the focus areas for our volunteer-driven habitat restoration program. Our Fox Creek volunteer event series kicked off on February 1, 2025, with nearly a dozen volunteers planting over 600 native trees and shrubs along the stretch of Fox Creek that flows through the heart of Rainier, Oregon before its confluence with the Columbia. On February 10, 2025, volunteers teamed up with our environmental educators again to plant an additional 420 native trees and shrubs.

Later this week, students from Rainier High School will help us reach our Fox Creek planting goal: 1,500 native plants. The 1,500 plants are a mix of pacific ninebark, common snowberry, red alder, Douglas spirea, and black hawthorn.

Once these plants get established in the creek’s riparian area, they will combat the spread of invasive species, provide shade to cool the creek's water, and capture pollutants from nearby roads and parking lots. Additionally, the plantings will enhance the aesthetic appeal of the creek as it flows through downtown Rainier.

The Estuary Partnership extends its gratitude to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the City of Rainier for their invaluable support in making these events and the restoration of Fox Creek possible.

You're invited:

Columbia River Estuary Conference

The biennial Columbia River Estuary Conference will be held May 13-15, 2025, at the Liberty Theatre in Astoria, Oregon. The theme of the 2025 conference is Echoes of the Estuary: Reflections for a Resilient Columbia River.

This conference brings together restoration practitioners, scientists, researchers, and others interested in the ecosystems and restoration of the lower Columbia River, its estuary, plume, and nearshore ocean.

The three-day conference includes oral and lightening presentations and a poster session during an evening social event. Abstracts for the presentations and poster session are due February 14, 2024.

The conference is supported by contributions from the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce, Wolf Water Resources, Tillamook Estuary Partnership, Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), Lewis and Clark National Park Association, Kilgren Water Resources, and the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership.

If you have questions about the conference, please contact Catherine Corbett 971-380-3629 or by email. 

Check out a science kit at the Kelso Public Library

A collection of our most popular science classroom and field education kits are now available for loan at the Kelso Public Library. The kits offer a fun, educational, and hands-on approach youth science programs and cover a wide range of subjects:

• Beavers
• Water quality testing
• Bird identification
• Animal signs and observations
• Food web and STEM career Jenga

The kits are available for teachers and members of the public to borrow for up to two weeks. To check out a science classroom and field education kit from the Kelso Public Library, contact the library at (360) 423-8110.

The science classroom and field education kit program at the Kelso Public Library is supported through the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission’s No Child Left Inside grant program administered through the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for National Estuary Programs.

Two ways to support the Estuary Partnership in your daily life