Serious Riparian Planting

The ledge of the river has been sloughing into the river for lack of vegetation along this stretch of the Nehalem.

With the water still at a high level, Mike and Butler set about planting about 40 seedlings in the wet ground.

Originally, this spot had large alders growing along the bank. As the waters flooded and receded over the last 100 years, the alders have succumbed to the river and the band keeps trying to take more ground each year.

If there are no damaging floods in the next couple of years, the root systems on the new plants will help hold what is left of the earth and stabilize the ledge from further erosion.

Eventually, all the green grass that is pictured will have a mixed stand of alder, maple, ash, grand fir, spruce, dogwood and many varieties of brush vegetation to aid in the stabilization and provide much needed shade in this location.