The Coweeman River is flashy and primarily a single-thread channel designed to export materials (i.e., get logs to market), not to retain them. This minimizes its habitat value for fish.

We are restoring 3.27 miles of contiguous cold water habitat to benefit all life stages of ESA-listed Columbia River Chinook, coho, and steelhead. This phase will enhance two side channels in the Coweeman River and initiate recovery of alluvial reaches in Baird Creek and the Coweeman by increasing wood loads and engaging adjacent terraces to spread out the water’s flow.

In the years following implementation, fine sediments from historic logging practices will be flushed out, coarse spawning substrate will be retained, the floodplain will be engaged, and spawning and summer/winter rearing capacities will increase.