Restoration groups tell Cowlitz commissioners nature-based projects can cut sediment costs and aid habitat

At a Tuesday meeting of the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners, representatives of three regional restoration organizations described multi-year projects in the Toutle and upper Cowlitz watersheds and urged continued interagency coordination through the Spirit Lake–Toutle–Cowlitz River collaborative.

The presentations, from the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and the Mount St. Helens Institute, outlined projects that place large wood and other nature-based measures in upper tributaries to retain sediment, create fish habitat and hire local contractors. They said those activities complement — but do not replace — downstream dredging and larger sediment retention works.

Speakers said the collaborative provides a recurring forum for local sponsors, tribes and state and federal agencies to review projects and permits together. That regular convening, they said, speeds decisions on permits and on use of local materials and contractors while helping agencies and communities weigh tradeoffs between restoration, flood risk and navigation.

Morgan, director of the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, told commissioners that the group has focused restoration work in the South Fork Toutle and other upper…