Snow Creek Estuary Preserve
Snow Creek Estuary Preserve
Acres Preserved:
4
Year Conserved:
2011
Category:
Land Trust Preserve
Natural Features:
Activities:
The success of the extensive work to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat in the Snow and Salmon Creeks watershed doesn’t belong to any one organization or one leader, but to the Chumsortium Collaborative as a whole.
- Rebecca Benjamin, former Executive Director, North Olympic Salmon Coalition
A Birds-Eye View
Snow Creek and Salmon Creek flow from the foothills of the Olympic Mountains down to the head of Discovery Bay. Here they form the Snow and Salmon Creek Estuary — one of the most intact estuaries of its kind on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal, and the stronghold of the area’s endangered Hood Canal summer chum salmon.
These waters and shorelines provide a wealth of habitat for summer chum, steelhead, coho, Puget Sound chinook, white sturgeon, three species of forage fish, and Olympic oysters and other shellfish. Shorebirds and waterfowl, including Trumpeter Swans and Bald and Golden Eagles, feed on salmon carcasses along the creeks in the intertidal areas.
Jefferson Land Trust’s Snow Creek Estuary Preserve is located at the southern portion of Discovery Bay near the Snow Creek Estuary and includes the final 750 feet of Snow Creek as it enters Discovery Bay. The historical path of the Chicago, Milwaukie, St. Paul and Pennsylvania Railroad once crossed the northern portion of the property.
The preserve sits along the route of the Olympic Discovery Trail. Visitors to the preserve will see an open meadow overlooking the estuary lagoon that provides important habitat for salmon, water fowl, and shellfish. A short, side trail hugging the south western boundary leads visitors down to the flowing creek and past newly planted trees.
The Preservation Story
In 2011, Jefferson Land Trust purchased the Snow Creek Estuary Preserve property using funding provided by Washington state’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board. The project is a true collaboration as restoration of the preserve has been spearheaded by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, as part of a larger restoration effort they are undertaking throughout the Snow and Salmon creek area.
This restoration work has been very complex, balancing the interests of many different groups and undertaken in cooperation with landowners, the Chumsortium Collective partners, permitting agencies, Washington State Department of Transportation, Jefferson County, and private contractors. It has included removing several dilapidated structures, an old abandoned railroad grade and moving a residential waterline.
The Protected Property Today and Tomorrow
The Land Trust and our Chumsortium partners have worked particularly hard to protect and restore the habitat corridors running along Snow and Salmon creeks. Some of the landowners and project partners have grown up in this area and their children are now involved in restoration projects, too. We’re proud to see a new generation of conservationists getting their hands dirty to give fish and wildlife a healthier and more climate-resilient corridor.
At Snow Creek Estuary Preserve, our stewardship staff, with the help of committed preserve stewards, volunteers, and partner organizations regularly care for the land, monitor wildlife, and keep improving habitat conditions by removing harmful weeds.
Every 5-10 years, the Land Trust also conducts habitat health assessments on the property. These assessments, carried out with the help of volunteers, allow us to evaluate the ecological integrity and functions of forests and streams within the preserve and track the progress of our land management goals.
Our goal is to eventually transfer ownership of this important property to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife for long-term ownership and care.
Visiting Information
Visiting Snow Creek Estuary Preserve
The Snow Creek Estuary Preserve is open to the public year round and is along the route of the Olympic Discovery Trail. Learn more about visiting this special place.