Projects and Research
Throughout Willapa National Wildlife Refuge's history, there have been several projects completed that have achieved various conservation goals. From restoring tidal marsh and coastal dune habitats, to increasing outdoor recreation opportunities. See below for some project highlights!
At Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, tides ebb and flow through tidal creeks of the salt marsh that meet up with cool and cloudy maritime forest. These tidal creeks and channels were once dominated by Chum salmon, traveling miles upstream to spawn each fall. Historically, Willapa Bay had over 14,000 acres of saltmarsh, mudflats, and salmon-bearing streams. Less than half of these...
Estuaries are among the most productive natural systems on earth due to the mixing of nutrients from land and sea. Coastal areas, including estuaries, comprise less than 10% of the nation’s land area yet support a significant number of wildlife species, including 75% of migratory birds, nearly 80% of fish and shellfish, and about half of all threatened and endangered species.
The...
In the Pacific Northwest, intensive industrial management of forests over the last century profoundly changed their ecological conditions. Less than 1% of old growth forest in the Willapa Bay watershed remains. Once harvested, lands are replanted with just one or two commercially valuable tree species thereby reducing the diversity of plants within the forest landscape. Additionally...