The Youngs Bay watershed, like much of the Columbia River Estuary, contains limited estuarine wetland habitat. This project directly addresses a limiting factor via the restoration of ~25 acres of tidal estuarine habitat. The proposed project will help restore watershed processes and provide benefits to anadromous salmonids and wildlife. Restoring 25 acres of lost tidal swamp will accomplish the following goals:

- Re-establish a hydrological connection between the Lewis & Clark River and its floodplain
- Restore rearing habitat for coho, chinook, searun cutthroat trout and potentially chum salmon
- Increase critical flood storage and sediment retention in the Lewis & Clark River
- Re-establish historic plant communities

Currently the partners are writing grants to implement the work. However, the tentative schedule for the project is to begin construction summer 2005 with dike removal in late Summer early Fall 2005. Total project cost for construction is expected to reach $160,000 with an additional $50,000 needed for effectiveness monitoring.