Chinook Indian Nation
A partnership to conserve salmon and bird habitat in Willapa Bay
In 2025, WRC and the Chinook Indian Nation began working together to conserve a bounty of wetlands along the lower Willapa River in Washington. The 393-acre property, called Willapa Wetlands, encompasses 2.2 miles of river frontage and 4.5 miles of inlets and sloughs in an area that is part of the traditional territory of the Chinook. The property is critical for migrating Chinook salmon and coho salmon passing through Willapa Bay, the second-largest estuary on the West Coast. Willapa Wetlands is also a haven for migratory and coastal-dependent birds. Returning these lands to the Chinook will allow Tribal members to steward the property for conservation, reconnect with ancestral lands, plant and harvest native plants and host ceremonies and educational outings.
