Community celebrates completion of wetland restoration at county’s 78th Street Heritage Farm

On June 17, approximately 50 members of the community gathered to celebrate the completion of the Heritage Farm Wetland Restoration Project. The project restores a wetland at the headwaters of Cougar Creek that was ditched and drained more than a century ago, when such practices were commonplace. The restored wetland features eight “cells” that provide wetland functions and a 35-foot wetland buffer with native plants. 

“Restoring the headwater wetlands of Cougar Creek is a major step towards improving water quality and habitat for salmon and wildlife in the Salmon Creek Watershed” said Marlee Milosevich, Stormwater Capital Program Manager. 

The celebration included a tour where participants visited four stations to learn about the project’s engineering and design, water quality and stream health benefits, native vegetation and wildlife habitat improvements, and how the project fits into the Heritage Farm Master Plan. District 2 Clark County Councilor Michelle Belkot, Public Works Director Ken Lader and Department of Ecology Water Quality Grants Specialist Stephanie Herbst spoke during the ceremony. The ribbon was cut by Councilor Belkot with assistance from Clark County Public Works engineer Joe Conner. 

The restored wetland provides multiple ecological and community benefits. The wetland cells help to hold water and slowly release it into Cougar Creek, reducing high flows that erode streambanks. Slowing the water also allows for recharging of groundwater and aquifers, which will increase cool water in Cougar Creek in late summer when salmon populations return to spawn. The 35-foot buffer will provide habitat for wildlife, including killdeer, Pacific chorus frogs, and swallows. A hope for the new wildlife habitat is that it will also support threatened species like the Northern red-legged frog. As trails and public access improvements are developed at the farm through an upcoming project, interpretive signage will educate visitors about wetland functions and demonstrate how agriculture can coexist with these important ecological features. 

“The project not only provides significant ecological benefit but also creates a unique opportunity to educate the community on how agricultural practices can coincide with native wetland habitat,” Milosevich added. 

Planning and design for the project began in 2019. Construction finished on time and under budget. The project was funded through a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Water Quality Combined Funding Program and the Clark County Clean Water Fund. A low-interest loan was provided by the Washington State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund Program for Green Project Reserve, in the Environmentally Innovative project category. The total awarded amount was approximately $4,000,000. 

More information about the farm is available at clark.wa.gov/public-works/78th-street-heritage-farm. 

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