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STORIES -> Success Stories - Partnerships with Forest Service
White River Floodplain - Wetlands Restoration Project Wenatchee National Forest
![[Photo]: Culvert removal and dredging reconnects an oxbow to the river.](/common/images/white_river3.jpg)
When degraded roads were returned to nature through an interagency partnership in Washington's
eastern Cascade Mountains, fish and frogs benefited from reduced erosion. Biologists are hopeful that
elusive gray wolves and Canada lynx will be able to lay claim to explanded territories.
The diverse list of project
partners includes the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3M
Corporation, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Northwest Fund for the Environment, National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, and Washington Department of Ecology.
The project will ultimately restore wetland and watershed functions
in the White River area of the Wenatchee National Forest. In addition, second-growth conifer forest
stands will be returned to late successional conditions through careful thinning. Eventually the
partners hope to provide interpretation about fisheries, wildlife, wetlands, old-growth forests, and
riparian habitats.
![[Photo]: Old roadbeds are decommissioned to improve wildlife habitat in the White River watershed.](/common/images/white_river2.jpg)
The project involves removing portions of old roads and culverts
to restore wetlands and river systems. For example, an oxbow was reconnected to the river by taking out
failing culverts and utilizing the road fill that was removed to return the floodplain to the natural
grade. Excess fill material was hauled out of the project area and used to re-surface open roads. The
oxbow is frequented by numerous wildlife and aquatic species. Restoring oxbow connectivity also provides
spawning and rearing habitat for endangered salmon. Spur roads that are in poor condition or located on unstable
slopes are being decommissioned.
The list of other species that will benefit from this project is a
long one. A few of the highlights include chinook salmon, bull trout, steelhead, bald eagle, bear, moose,
spotted owl, Cascade frog, beaver, and numerous plant species. The list is a testimony to the power of
partnerships in leveraging resources to create new opportunities for restoring habitats.
For more information on this project contact:
Cindy Raekes
Fisheries Technician
USDA Forest Service, Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth Ranger Districts
(509) 763-3103 ext. 223
craekes@fs.fed.us
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PARTNERING WITH THE FOREST SERVICE
