Connecting Power of Community with Passion for Nature
Connecting Power of Community with Passion for Nature
The Gorge Refuge Stewards is a group of dedicated volunteers working to preserve, protect, and restore the native habitat on three National Wildlife Refuges on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge: Steigerwald Lake, Franz Lake and Pierce.
On the Refuge
Public use facilities (trails, parking lots, and restrooms) and access to those facilities at Steigerwald Lake NWR are CLOSED during the Steigerwald Reconnection Project.
Steigerwald Lake NWR Access Update 4/15/21: With all the warm, dry weather crews have started heavy equipment work a little ahead of schedule! The Columbia River Dike Trail closure has been moved (as of April 15, 2021) from the fish ladder to the western edge of the Refuge at Index Street. Please help us keep our crews and you safe by respecting this closure. While all work may not be visible from the trail, the site will be under construction and unsafe for the public to access until the Refuge re-opens next spring.
The initial stages of the Gibbons Creek Alluvial Fan Restoration were completed spring of 2020. Contractors installed wood structures throughout the 55 acre alluvial fan area to increase fish habitat once Gibbons Creek is reconnected to Steigerwald Lake. They also planted 100,000 native trees and shrubs throughout the area to replace the invasive canary grass.
Slides from Annual Meeting 4/16/2019
Thanks to all who attended our annual meeting at 54-40 Brewing Co in Washougal. Here are the slides from the meeting:
Steigerwald Floodplain Restoration Project
From Our Volunteer Coordinator
In light of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak in our state, we wanted to assure our visitors, volunteers, and staff that we are tracking the situation in order to best serve and protect our community. To this end, we are postponing all events and volunteer positions will be on hold until further notice.
We want nature to be an escape, especially in such stressful times. The best way to accomplish this is to work together to keep one another safe and healthy. Help us protect our community by staying up-to-date on our website for closures, and staying knowledgeable about the effects of this virus. We will update the websites with any changes to planned upcoming events as we know things. Thank you for your support and patience as we all get through this together.
Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards