The Neitzel family farm, located in the Necanicum River watershed, is the last historic "truck farm" in the area that has not been subdivided. The owners - Ernestine Neitzel and her son Les - wanted to ensure the property would be preserved in a natural state in perpetuity, and turned .61 acres on the farm into active wetlands.

 

The project involved a wide variety of partners, including government agencies, local businesses and neighboring property owners. The success of the restoration was partially due to in-kind technical assistance and labor, and donated plant material from nearby private forests.

 

Since connecting to the Necanicum River in November 2009, the created wetland complex has provided critical over-wintering habitat for more than 1,000 juvenile Coho and for spawning amphibians.

 

See news release for more information.

 

 

Using funds from a 1995 open-spaces bond measure, Metro purchased about 40 acres adjacent to the Tualatin River near Sherwood in 1997. The restoration project at the property known as Munger Farm aimed to provide access to the river and promote development of natural habitat in the watershed.

 

For many years, buried tiles had drained surface and groundwater from the site for farming. As a result, a major part of the restoration work involved disabling the drains and reseeding the area with native species and woody plants.

 

Native species now have a natural environment in which to flourish, and the public has access to a restored wetland area where they can learn about and experience a native Oregon landscape.

 

The project was coordinated by Tualatin Riverkeepers, and funded by the Department of State Lands, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Clean Water Services. The property is owned by Metro.

 

See the news release for more information.