The mission of the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership is to preserve and enhance the water quality of the estuary to support its biological and human communities.
The Estuary Partnership was established in 1995 by the governors of Washington and Oregon and the US EPA to provide a coordinated, regional voice to improve conditions of the lower river.
The lower Columbia River is designated an “Estuary of National Significance,” one of 28 in the nation. The Estuary Partnership works across political boundaries over an area that stretches 146 miles from Bonneville Dam to the Pacific Ocean. The Estuary Partnership is a public 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation with a Board of Directors representing the diverse public and private interests and geography of the lower river.
Goals and Accomplishments of the Estuary Partnership:
Protect the ecosystem and species- restore 19,000 acres of wetlands and habitat by 2014 and promote improvements in stormwater management.
• To date, with partners restored 13,000 acres of wetlands and habitat at 41 project sites.
• Provided assistance to communities meeting Federal Phase II stormwater requirements to reduce contaminated discharge.
Reduce toxic and conventional pollution- conduct long term monitoring and work with partners to eliminate persistent bioaccumulative toxics, bring water bodies up to water quality standards, reduce hydrocarbon and heavy metal discharges and reduce bacterial contamination.
• From 2004-2008, completed water quality, fish tissue and sediment monitoring that found banned contaminants such as DDT, current-use contaminants such as mercury and flame retardants, and emerging contaminants such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, personal care products and pharmaceuticals.
Provide information about the river to a range of audiences- provide applied learning programs for children and build federal, state, local, public and private coordination.
• Since 2000, provided over 112,000 applied learning experiences to K-12 students in 32 school districts and worked with over 10,000 volunteers planting 27,000 native trees and shrubs at 30 restoration sites.
• Opened a 146 mile water trail for paddling.
• Hosted dozens of meetings, workshops and forums to convey current data and to link science to policy on topics such as habitat restoration and toxics reduction.
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