Clark County wants to restore fish habitat at former Cedars golf course; neighbors are leery of plans

Instead of removing some or all of the ponds, Dykeman said there are other ways to make them more suitable for salmon and other fish.

“I would like them to retain the pond, not necessarily as it is, but improved,” he said. “The main argument is that the water temperature increases enough so that when it dumps into Salmon Creek, it raises (the water temperature) to where the fry can’t survive. There’s a lot of different arguments you could posit.”

Dykeman also said the homeowners association owns several small parcels of land that include parts of those ponds. He’s not sure how the county plans to work around that. Dykeman said he’s spoken with other residents in the neighborhood about the restoration plans. He said the main issue is the possible removal of the walking paths, which are frequently used, but many others are opposed to filling in the ponds area.

“A lot of folks are against the idea of filling it in, even the people who don’t have a view of it,” he said.

The county is partnering with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe on the project. Along with restoring fish habitat, goals for the project include removing fish passage barriers and improving opportunities for walking, birdwatching, fishing, picnicking, and cultural and environmental education.

Ross Hoover, division manager for the county parks department, said the ponds pose a significant challenge to salmon health because they flow directly into Salmon Creek.

“The water that’s coming out of those reservoirs is at a higher temperature than the creek is itself, which is not conducive to salmon rearing. For the salmon spawning that happens in the creek, there are detrimental effects to the current state. We’re losing salmon in its current state,” Hoover said.

The planning phase for the project, which began last year, was made possible through grant funding the Cowlitz Indian Tribe received from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Residents hoping the site will retain its former parklike setting with manicured grass and well-maintained cart paths likely won’t be happy with the county’s plans.

“The goal from the beginning of this project was to take this amazing space and ensure that we’re returning the property to its natural state, improving it — in particular for salmon, fish habitat, waterway and creek health, floodplain resiliency, and fish passage,” Hoover said.

While the restoration plan is expected to be finalized by 2026, a timeline for construction will be determined later as funding for the project is secured.

Hoover said this week’s open house will be a great opportunity for residents to learn more about the project, the county’s plans for the natural area and, most importantly, provide feedback on those plans.

“We want to get people’s take on that. We also want to hear about picnic shelters, the design of picnic shelters, the look and feel of the site, what types of plantings we might put on the site, play structures and nature play and what people prefer in terms of nature play,” Hoover said.