Wetland Monitoring

From high above, tidal wetlands look like the earth’s circulatory system, arteries of water winding through the landscape. Not only are they beautiful, they’re also vital. They support everything from juvenile salmon to migratory birds to beaver. Unfortunately, we’ve lost 68% of the tidal wetlands in the lower Columbia River Basin since 1880.

Now, we’re trying to rebuild these systems by removing dikes and reconnecting them to the Columbia River system. When these systems get wet again (this is the return of tidal hydrology), we know we’re headed in the right direction. Our restoration work at Kerry Island is an incredible example. Then we shift our focus to helping native plants re-establish, which help support the return of wildlife. We closely track our progress on the ground and from the air with drones that use infrared technology to assess how we well native plants are outcompeting invasive species. We also measure accretion, sediment and organic matter building up inch by inch. That growth tells us the land is healing, wildlife habitat is growing, and flood risk is lowering.

Throughout this process, we’re experimenting with different ways to nudge the system in the right direction. Sometimes we’re humbled by nature, but when that happens we adjust our plan and continue to test and monitor so we know our efforts are making a difference.