Clark County outlines restoration, two design options for Gordy Joma Family Natural Area

Clark County Parks and Nature on Wednesday presented early master-plan concepts and ecological-restoration goals for the Gordy Joma Family Natural Area, a 118-acre former golf course along Salmon Creek that the county purchased with Legacy Lands and clean-water funds.

The county and consulting teams described four ecological priorities — slower water, cooler water, removal of fish-passage barriers and more native vegetation — and showed two concept approaches for public access: one that keeps visitors primarily on higher trails where they can "see and hear" the creek, and a second that provides direct, seasonal access to the water for play and closer contact.

The presentation, led by Evelyn Ives, capital project manager for Clark County Parks and Nature, said the site includes about 2.2 miles of stream habitat, borders the 108-acre Salmon Morgan Natural Area, and was purchased for conservation. "We are talking about visioning the future for the Gordy Joma family natural area," Ives told attendees. She said the project is a partnership with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and that consultants Interglued and Greenworks (landscape architect Grayson Morris) are supporting planning.

Why it matters: County officials framed the work as restoration first — funded in part by conservation grants — with recreation layered on top. The site already contains features left from golf-course construction (imported fill, irrigation ponds and altered channel geometry) that consultants said have raised summertime stream temperatures and reduced habitat complexity for salmon.

What the presentation showed and recommended - Salmon-focused restoration rationale: Emily Elcock, a consultant working on the stream assessment, described the site's historical river characteristics (a wide, depositional valley with cobble and gravel beds and forested banks) and said those features supported salmon spawning historically. She summarized current conditions — narrowed channels, imported sand and excavation ponds — that make the creek run too fast and warm in places, and she warned that some monitoring sites recorded water temperatures above published survival thresholds for coho during summer. "This is basically created the river for fish is now like a fire hose," Elcock said. - Four restoration actions presented: remove or re-grade imported fill to slow flows; reduce warm-water inputs by altering or filling some ponds; remove or replace fish-passage barriers (bridges and culverts); and re-establish native trees and shrubs to provide shade and habitat. - Two public-access concepts: Grayson Morris, landscape architect with Greenworks, presented two high-level options. Option 1 emphasizes upland trails, overlooks and smaller dispersed amenities so visitors can "see and hear" the creek without frequent creek-edge access. Option 2 proposes fewer, larger amenities with direct, seasonal water access — "touch, walk through, play in the creek," Morris said — and a central, fully accessible trailhead and parking node. Both concepts include trail improvements, additional creek crossings, signage and restrooms in principle.

Community concerns and county responses Attendees raised questions across multiple topics: parking and traffic on 140 Second Avenue and adjacent neighborhood streets; safety for children crossing a 50 mph-designated section; long-term maintenance and who would pay for it; impacts to wildlife that use the ponds; homeless encampment and public-safety concerns; construction logistics and access routes; and project timeline and funding.

Jane (a resident who spoke during public comment) warned about vehicle speeds and children crossing: "140 Second is posted at 50 miles an hour ... creating a dangerous mix for children that are gonna be crossing 140 Second," she said. County staff acknowledged traffic and safety concerns and said future land-use and design processes will include traffic studies and coordination with the City of Battle Ground.

On funding and schedule, presenters said the Cowlitz Tribe secured a Salmon Recovery Funding Board grant to advance a 30% floodplain/restoration design this year; county capital funding for construction is not yet identified. Ross Hoover, Parks and Nature division manager, said the county maintains an annual six-year capital plan and that at present work on the Gordy Joma property is not yet programmed for construction. County staff said the restoration-focused portions of the project are likely to attract state-level grants, but an overall construction schedule depends on securing those funds and completing design and permitting.

Technical clarifications and monitoring Presenters described field work completed to inform plans: wetland delineations, soil test pits showing underlying wetland soils, a bridge inspection program, floodplain modeling, drone imagery and temperature monitoring. Consultants said they deployed temperature loggers across the site (initially 14, 12 remained in the dataset presented) and that at least one logger recorded temperatures above a published salmon survival threshold for about two and a half weeks during summer.

On ponds and wildlife, staff acknowledged that removing or filling some ponds would change habitat for turtles and waterfowl and that restoration work includes steps to comply with environmental requirements and to minimize disturbance. County and tribal staff said they will evaluate pond priorities by the magnitude of their temperature effect and their role as fish-passage barriers.

Next steps County staff asked the public to provide feedback via an on-site paper survey, an online survey (QR code posted), comment cards and follow-up email. Staff said they will use public feedback to refine a "preferred alternative" and return with updated plans, likely later in the year, followed by the remaining design, permitting and funding steps.

No formal decisions or votes were taken at the meeting; the county described this as the start of a multi‑year planning process that will include additional designs, public input and, once funding is identified, construction-phase design documents.

Ending note: County officials emphasized restoration as the project's driving purpose while acknowledging community priorities about access, safety and maintenance. They said they will coordinate with the City of Battle Ground on traffic and utilities and will seek grants and other funding sources before committing to construction timelines.