Update for the Gorge Refuge Stewards & Friends, February 2022

February has begun and what a time of changes it is, among our ongoing challenges. The green stems of the daffodils in my backyard are emerging from the soil below after being dormant for many months, and bees were happy to pollinate the white blossoms in my front yard this last sunny weekend.

When witnessing the first blooms of the New Year, it is often hard not to get excited about the coming of springtime and all it might hold.

As I can imagine, spring means many different things for you, our community. But we anticipate many of you are anxiously awaiting this spring when not only our seasonal trails at Ridgefield often reopen, but Steigerwald Lake, which has been closed since March of 2020.

Earlier this month along with the rest of our Visitor Services

Team, I joined Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership staff at Steigerwald Refuge to see and experience part of the trail for the first time. Here’s some things we discussed as we walked (for just the second time this Pandemic) as a full team down the west levee (the new first leg of the trail).

Exposure to the elements –

The new west setback levee trail is elevated with down-facing bare slopes on each side. That meant on a colder windy day like when we visited, that those of us who have been cozy at home these last few years, needed to adorn a hat and some even gloves, to brave the wind chill.

The positive side – With that said, the exposure also opened up amazing vantages of the Refuge…like a cat, at the same time, I enjoyed being higher up as I looked east over the Refuge. I felt like I was seeing a bird’s perspective of the land and had a good sightline of the newly expanded wetlands below.

World Wetlands Day was celebrated on February 2.

Question of the month: Can you name one way wetlands benefit wildlife or our communities?

Healthy wetlands are vital across the U.S. because they:

1. Recharge groundwater and remove excess nutrients and toxins from water
2. Help reduce flooding
3. Provide habitat for various species
4. Provide recreational opportunities
5. ALL of the above (you guessed it)

Image description: Image of a girl with binoculars looking left with a brightly colored illustration of a wetland with a great blue heron, egret, deer, ibis, and other birds in the water and flying above. A yellow bird hides in cattails as the orange-pink sky sunsets.

According the USFWS when discussing wetlands, “In addition, more than half of all species listed under the Endangered Species Act, and 40% of all species, are reliant on wetlands, as are millions of waterfowl and migratory birds. There are many types of wetlands, including coastal wetlands, potholes and vernal pools, bogs, and swamps, and each provide unique ecological functions.”

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We could see the wetlands in new spots, which meant great opportunities to observe wildlife, from a safe distance. Sitting the wetlands we saw geese (perhaps enjoying watching us) and a couple American Bald Eagles flying overhead.

Amenities to follow –

When we reopen this May the trail and site, while open to the public again, will not be complete. And as part of the project will extend into the summer, the site will take years to grow up. However, that can be the fun part of all this. Just as those with children or youth in your life – watching the site rebound and the plants grow taller as the wetlands fill, being a part of this process can be exciting.

Many different plantings have spanned the duration of the project, which means some were planted a few years ago, with more going in the ground before this month’s end. That means we can see how quickly some the bare root plants such as willows, have grown; giving us an idea of what we can expect over the years to come.

What most people don’t understand is that restoration is messy. The process (especially as drastic as what Steigerwald Lake NWR has undergone) is just that, a process. But the birds and other wildlife are some of the first to experience it and help in their ways also transform the site.

In addition to the new signage we have shared previously, the Refuge is planning to expand the number of benches offered along the trail and hope to provide a covered shelter near the trailhead. Other ideas will take input from members of the community, like yourself. That means we need to be open and you all experience the site to help us dream of what else we can do on it to enhance your experience.

We hope you will look out for future ways to contribute to this process.

– Mesha Wood, USFWS Park Ranger for the Refuge Complex