Parcel by parcel, Western Rivers Conservancy is working to purchase and conserve 352 acres of forested land in the Wild and Scenic corridor of the Salmon River. The Salmon River is the most productive fish-bearing tributary in the entire Sandy River system. Earlier in 2008, we purchased 39 acres from Clackamas County, and conveyed all but nine acres to the Bureau of Land Management to join a growing corridor of protected habitat along the Sandy River and its tributaries. In September 2008, we conveyed the last 9 acres to the Bureau of Land Management, completing this first portion of the project. This will help ensure healthy fish runs in the Salmon River, which is the primary fish-producing stream in the Sandy River basin. In fact, the entire Sandy River fishery relies on the Salmon River and its tributary Boulder Creek as anchor habitat for salmon and steelhead.
The conserved land adds to a 5,000-plus-acre wild river sanctuary that Western Rivers Conservancy is assembling along the Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers. To date, Western Rivers Conservancy has protected more than 2,900 acres in the basin, securing healthy habitat and expanding recreation opportunities along this urban river gem.
The purchase of lands from Clackamas County adds revenue to the County’s park trust fund and also conserves critical habitat and open space for the local community.
Photo by Peter Marbach
