Largest Habitat Restoration Project Ever In Lower Columbia River Completed ($31 Million), Increases Estuary Floodplain Habitat For Salmon By 19 Percent

After two years of closure to complete the largest habitat restoration project in the history of the lower Columbia River, Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge reopens to the public on May 1. Construction on the Steigerwald Reconnection Project began in 2019 to reduce flood risk, reconnect 965 acres of Columbia River floodplain, and increase recreation opportunities at the refuge.