Gibbons Creek Alluvial Fan Restoration Project

Reconnecting 960 acres of the Columbia River floodplain reduces flood risk while enhancing ecology, recreation, and water quality.

Located five miles east of Portland along the Columbia River, the Port of Camas-Washougal is a regional recreational and employment hub with a public marina, airport, wastewater treatment plant, and an industrial park. The area’s 1,049-acre Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge contains wetlands, grasslands, and oak forested uplands providing important wildlife habitat.

Levees along Gibbons Creek, which flows through the area, were obstructing fish passage and causing flooding. Several partners — including the Port of Camas-Washougal, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gorge Refuge Stewards, Bonneville Power Administration, Washington State Department of Transportation, the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, private landowners and others — took combined collaborative action in the form of ecological restoration.

The restoration removed 2.2 miles of the man-made levee and reconnected 960 acres of historic floodplain, including Gibbons Creek, to the Columbia River. As a key member of the project team, Biohabitats led the installation of woody habitat structures on the Gibbons Creek alluvial fan and floodplain channel. In addition to installing engineered log complexes, several of which were constructed using logs salvaged from the area, Biohabitats led all tasks related to access, staging, erosion control, seeding of disturbed areas, and preparation of the site for native plant installation. In addition to significant flood risk reduction and habitat enhancement, the restoration increased recreational and educational opportunities and decreased Port maintenance costs.

TAGS

• Construction
• Ecological Restoration