Steigerwald refuge reopens SaturdayFree

Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge will reopen to the public Saturday now that the final phase of Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership’s habitat restoration project is complete.

While much of the work was complete by the grand reopening event held May 1, the refuge was closed again over the summer to allow crews to finish construction of a final section of the trail system, install salmon monitoring equipment and complete habitat improvements in the floodplain.

Columbia Refuge Stewards will host a booth at the refuge from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday to answer questions about the wildlife refuge and habitat project.

The first beginner bird walk of the season will also be held from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Walks are sponsored by the stewards and will take place every other Saturday through Nov. 19.

The habitat restoration project, the largest project of its kind on the Columbia River, included the removal of more than 2 miles of existing levees, along with existing water control and stream diversion infrastructure. New levees were built to allow Gibbons Creek to reconnect to the river once the concrete channel was removed from the creek.

Along with improving habitat for juvenile salmon and lamprey, project officials said the work also reduces flood risks for neighboring properties, such as the Port of Camas-Washougal and city of Camas. For more information about the project, go to https://www.estuarypartnership.org/our-work/habitat-restoration/steigerwald-reconnection-project.