A bald eagle flies from a tree in East Netul. The Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is seeking public input on a plan to restore nearly 30 acres of tidal marshland habitat on the Lewis and Clark River. One goal of the project is to reestablish native plant populations in the wetland.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is seeking public input on a plan to restore nearly 30 acres of tidal marshland habitat on the Lewis and Clark River — one step in an ongoing effort to revive the historic landscape.

Over the past two centuries, the area along the river has experienced a dramatic transformation. More than 90% of the estuary and tidal floodplain that once connected to the river has been lost to development and heavy diking to make way for agricultural fields — but using early land surveyors’ maps, journal entries from Lewis and Clark and other historical documents, researchers have pieced together a picture of past conditions.

Two hundred years ago, the region boasted expansive sitka spruce swamps, intricate braided channels and flourishing habitat for beavers, salmon and other wildlife.

That vision of abundance is a key driver for the project.

“We’re not going to get quite back to that, but that’s kind of the vision — what we call a reference condition — in our minds as we’re creating and designing these projects to imagine what was and what could be, and what tools we need to get there,” said Carla Cole, the park’s restoration manager.

One of the project’s main goals is to restore critical habitat for salmon species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The park plans to collaborate with the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST), Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners to reconnect a section of land with the Lewis and Clark River across from the Netul Landing.

Jason Smith, CREST’s director of habitat restoration and monitoring, said the plans include breaching an existing levee, but protecting nearby private properties from flooding is a priority. To help address those concerns, the plan is to first construct a new setback levee, built to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards. Construction for that initial phase could begin as early as 2026.

From there, project partners are considering a range of options for habitat restoration, including removing dredge material from behind the original levee, adding woody debris and native plants and excavating new tidal channels. The work will add to previous projects the park has partnered on with CREST — one at Otter Point in 2012 and one at Colewort Creek in 2013 — that have collectively restored about 80 acres of tidal marshland habitat.

“In the big picture of the Columbia River system salmon habitat recovery actions, they’re not necessarily huge acreages, like some other ones are,” Cole said. Nevertheless, she said, they’re making a big difference. “Each time we open up a little bit, the salmon come rushing in. They’re there. They’re hungry for it.”

The anticipated benefits of the project extend beyond salmon, though. Reconnecting habitat to the river can also support birds, wildlife and other members of the food web and improve water quality, flood capacity and climate resiliency. Given those benefits, Cole said she’s grateful for the cooperation she’s experienced from neighboring property owners.

“It can be hard to meet in the middle for some of these conservation actions on the coast with competing interests, and so I just think any time people and agencies and private landowners can come together and find a common benefit from these and work together, it’s really crucial and important,” she said.

While the project will restore essential habitat, it will also offer a new opportunity for park visitors. Cole said the park plans to create a flow-through channel for ranger-led kayak tours through the restored floodplain, giving visitors a chance to be right in the middle of the project.

“It’d be an opportunity to improve visitor experiences, where the rangers would not only teach the visitors about habitat restoration and its benefits, but also show them a site that is somewhat similar to what Lewis and Clark may have experienced when they when they were paddling up the Lewis and Clark River system,” Smith said.

The park is fielding public feedback through Feb. 20 as it begins a draft environmental assessment. As the project moves through the permitting process, the park will be returning to the community with additional opportunities to provide input.

HOW TO COMMENT

People can visit parkplanning.nps.gov/eastnetul and select the document list to make a comment, or call the park at 503-861-2471.