With its dams now removed, the Sandy River is completely free-flowing, an ecological and recreational treasure just outside Portland. Since 1999, Western Rivers Conservancy has protected more than 3,000 acres along the middle reach of the Sandy and tributaries, assembling a natural resource and recreation area that will be managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Land acquisition, together with the dam removals, gives us an unparalleled opportunity to restore and protect a premier salmon and steelhead stream.

The wildest tributary to the Sandy is the Salmon River. With excellent habitat, wilderness stretches, few roads and no dams, the Salmon is the largest fish-producer in the entire Sandy basin. In December 2009, Western Rivers Conservancy purchased another 70 acres in the Wild and Scenic Corridor of the Salmon River. A $2.1 million appropriation from the Land and Water Conservation Fund in FY10 has allowed WRC to convey this tract, along with 39 acres we purchased in 2008, to the Bureau of Land Management.

Now, we are focusing on the remaining 275 acres of this property, including several miles on both sides of Boulder Creek, which feeds into the Salmon River. Fisheries biologists designated Boulder Creek as Primary Anchor Habitat for winter steelhead and Secondary Anchor Habitat for coho salmon. The property also includes frontage along the Salmon River designated as Primary Anchor Habitat for winter steelhead, coho and spring Chinook. This acquisition will also help connect wildlife migration corridors out of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, benefiting species like black-tailed deer, elk, black bear and cougar.

Above: Boulder Creek. Photo by Peter Marbach.