Watershed Alliance and city of Camas host first joint tree planting

CAMAS — Thirty-one volunteers gathered Jan. 21 to plant more than 150 trees on a city of Camas site just east of Lacamas Lake.

The site, which is visible from Everett Street just south of Northeast 43rd Avenue, was planted with native trees and shrubs that will help guard against invasive Himalayan blackberry and filter water running into Lacamas Lake.

The event was coordinated by the city and the nonprofit Watershed Alliance of Southwest Washington, which was founded in 2008 to work along Burnt Bridge Creek in Vancouver. The group recently formed partnerships with the cities of Camas and Ridgefield in 2022 to hold volunteer events. The group also coordinated the Lacamas Lake Cleanup in October.

“This event is part of our larger goal to bring opportunities to people in Camas, in order to help them take care of their waterways,” says Anna Wilde, deputy director for the Watershed Alliance of Southwest Washington.

City of Camas Public Works Director Steve Wall and new City Administrator Doug Quinn teamed up with volunteers to help get the planting started.

“This was a perfect start to what we hope will be a great partnership with the Watershed Alliance moving forward,” Wall said. “These types of native planting events will likely end up being part of our Lake Management Plan Long-Term Strategies to help improve and protect the water quality in Lacamas, Round and Fallen Leaf Lakes and other water bodies throughout the city,” he said.

The city and Watershed Alliance are planning more volunteer events in Camas this fall.