September 2, 2001

For more information please contact:

Phil Wallin, Western Rivers Conservancy, 503-241-0151

Western Rivers Conservancy Protects Willamette River Floodplain Property: 240-acre tract part of Willamette River Floodplain Restoration Project

ALBANY, Oregon - A non-profit river conservation organization, a Tribal Foundation, and a handful of government agencies collaborated to conserve a critical piece of Willamette River floodplain.

Western Rivers Conservancy has been on the lookout for opportunities to restore remnants of the historic Willamette floodplain -- the sloughs, wetlands, and old river channels so important to the health of the river and its wildlife. Just such an opportunity presented itself when a 240-acre property located on the Willamette River approximately ten miles downstream of Albany came on the market. According to local habitat biologists, the property contained one of the best "gallery" forest stands of Oregon ash, black cottonwood, and oak remaining in the Willamette Valley.

The Conservancy purchased the property as part of its Willamette Floodplain Restoration Project, designed to restore habitat and natural floodwater storage to the Willamette River Floodplain.

"A century ago, the Willamette was a maze of multiple channels, but as we have re-engineered the river over time, we have put the Willamette into a single channel and cut it off from its floodplain," said Tim McNeil, Western Rivers Conservancy's Northwest Project Manager. "Properties like this one, with its sloughs, bottomland forests, and old river channels, give us the chance to restore some function to the Willamette floodplain. Enough similar projects could reduce the severity of major floods like the last one in 1996, and give salmon a place to hide out during high water."

After acquiring the land, Western Rivers Conservancy conveyed the property to the Oregon's Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), which manages the nearby Luckiamute Landing, a Willamette River Greenway Site.

Grants from several sources helped Western Rivers Conservancy acquire this property. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), OPRD, and the North American Wetland Conservation Act's Small Grant Program contributed funds to purchase the property. In addition, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde helped cover program costs for Western Rivers Conservancy's Willamette Floodplain Restoration Project, giving two grants over the last two years. The Tribe made the donation through its Spirit Mountain Community Fund.

"The Willamette River has always been an integral part of our people's history. We are dedicated to helping protect and restore it, and are pleased to support Western Rivers Conservancy in their efforts," said Ed Pearsall, member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal council and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund Board of Trustees.

Sharing the Tribe's commitment to protecting and restoring the Willamette River, OWEB judged the acquisition of the Vanderpool property to be a sound investment.

"Our partnership with Western Rivers Conservancy on the acquisition of this project addresses important issues of restoration and protection of riparian and floodplain habitats that are critical to the recovery endangered salmon habitat within the Willamette Basin," said Ken Bierly, Deputy Director, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. "It was a tremendous opportunity."

In addition to the restoration opportunity provided by the property, it may offer recreation benefits as well.

"Because the property is within a quarter mile of the Luckiamute Landing Greenway Site, we hope to eventually connect them," said Dave Wright, OPRD's Administrator for Resource Management. "This property has the potential for trail development and recreational activities, eventually giving the public the opportunity to view and develop a greater appreciation of the wildlife along the river."

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