Salal Flat Conserved
64 Acres of Prime Steelhead Habitat Along the East Fork Lewis River
Earlier this April, Columbia Land Trust celebrated the conservation of 64 acres along the East Fork Lewis River in eastern Clark County, thanks to a generous land donation from a family that has cared for this place for more than 100 years.
“It’s a beautiful spot and satisfying puzzle piece connecting our nearby properties and building critical habitat connectivity,” said Land Trust Conservation Lead Jocelyn Tutak.
The recently conserved site is adjacent to the Land Trust’s Copper Creek property to the east, and just upriver from Horseshoe Falls, which we conserved in June 2024. State land lies just to the south, and together these areas create a strong, connected corridor for wildlife.
“The East Fork is incredibly important for the recovery of threatened Lower Columbia River steelhead,” said Tutak. “This donation adds another three quarters of a mile of steelhead habitat to more than a mile already protected by the Land Trust.” This is one of the few undammed rivers with no hatchery in the lower Columbia. It supports five native fish runs, but only winter and summer steelhead make it all the way to Salal Flat. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has designated this stretch of river as a wild steelhead gene bank, creating a sanctuary for wild fish and their genetic diversity.
The East Fork flows out of the forested hills of Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Skamania County. Clark County has worked strategically to acquire land for public access, but once the river leaves the National Forest, it largely crosses private land where development pressure along its banks continues to increase. “Every time I visit I notice another lot that’s been cleared of trees or another house being built,” says Tutak. Development removes trees that provide shade and soil stabilization, both warming and muddying the river for a fish that relies on cold, clear water.
The East Fork Lewis River is a priority conservation area for Columbia Land Trust, where we are focused on preserving riparian and aquatic habitat. Conserving this site also aligns with the conservation goals of Clark County, the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, and WDFW. The conserved land spans both north and south sides of the river and protects instream habitat as well as upland forest, which will maintain water quality and prevent degradation due to timber harvest and residential development.
The Land Trust’s initial stewardship efforts will involve the demolition of a few existing primitive structures, weed control, and some small-scale re-forestation and planting of areas of the site that were used for recreation. In the long term, we’ll prioritize activities that benefit steelhead.