Chehalis Riverbank Stabilization

Hello Friends! We are raising funds to help with our riverbank stabilization project on our property. The riverbank has been eroding badly over the years due to previous owners removing vital trees to create more farmland. The poor management and neglect of the riverbank has led to many acres of land being lost. Since we moved to this property in 2021, we’ve been diligently making efforts toward stabilizing the banks. Our next phase of this project is to reshape 1,500 feet of the top of the bank from a steep vertical drop-off to a gentle slope. The newly shaped bank will help control erosion by allowing high, fast-moving waters to gently spill over rather than cut into the vertical, exposed earth. The sloped bank can then be replanted with native grasses, shrubs, and trees to further stabilize the area.

Why is this important? The simple answer is we are restoring a barren wasteland to its natural state. A more granular explanation is that we are creating beneficial habitats for salmon and other species along the river. As our plantings grow and mature, they will reach out over the exposed areas of the river and shade them. This cools the area where salmon spawn during the summer months and increases the chances of their eggs hatching. Creating this forested buffer between the river and our pastureland makes a home for local animals and increases overall biodiversity. All of which is key to reversing man-made problems into natural solutions.

What we need: The funds we raise are used directly for heavy equipment rental, fuel, erosion control grass seeds, native bare-root plants, watering solutions, and other materials necessary to complete the project. This is a huge undertaking with tons of dirt to move. The material we remove from the bank cannot simply be dumped into the river as this could raise turbidity levels and adversely affect the salmon spawn. We must move the material inland from the river and spread it out over the property in low-lying areas and replant it. This requires renting an excavator, hydraulic dump trailer, and possibly a dozer to move the material. We also need to purchase hundreds of pounds of seed and many plants to stabilize the area from washing away during winter floods.

What we’ve done thus far: Since 2021, we have planted thousands of willow trees along the bank to help hold it. We’ve been working with local government agencies to install a living flood fence of 140 cottonwood logs designed to catch debris during floods and create log jams. This is good for breaking up the current along the banks to slow erosion and provide fish habitat. We’ve planted 5,000 native shrubs and trees on the inland portions of the property to begin creating a new forest margin. We experienced a lot of erosion this past winter of a skinny spot that separates the river from our lake. We can’t get machinery in this area because is too unstable, so we’ve had to reshape the bank by hand with pickaxes and shoves. Tons of work! We’ve also replanted this area with willow to help hold the newly formed bank.

We need your help: Our fund-raising goal for this project is $15,000. This is a lot to ask from our friends and community members, but with our combined efforts we can restore this little corner of Mother Earth back to harmony. We appreciate any help!