Western Rivers Conservancy purchased one of the last three privately owned properties on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River in 1996. The Hanford Reach is the last non-tidal, free-flowing segment of the Columbia in the United States. The Hanford Reach provides critical spawning beds for fall Chinook salmon as well as migratory habitat for listed spring Chinook and steelhead.
When 78 acres of privately owned land came on the market, Western Rivers Conservancy responded quickly to protect endangered salmon and steelhead habitat. The lands are now owned and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.