East Bank Netul Tidal Restoration Project (DOE/EA-2283)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to provide funding to the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST) to implement the East Bank Netul Restoration Project, which is a continuation of a series of floodplain reconnection projects along the upper Lewis and Clark River in Clatsop County, Oregon. The proposed project is one of several proposed or completed projects designed to restore a mosaic of quality tidal marshplain habitat for juvenile salmonids on and adjacent to National Park Service (NPS) property (Otter Point, Colewort Creek, and Netul Landing). Because the NPS is the land manager of the federally-owned East Netual Landing property, the NPS is the lead agency for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis.  BPA is a cooperating agency. 

The East Bank Netul Landing project area is composed of forested and emergent wetlands and is in a portion of large tidal floodplain that was leveed and used for dredge material placement in the late 19th through the mid-20th century.  This project would restore connectivity to 30 acres of tidal marshplain and enhance tidal wetland habitat critical to the recovery of threatened and endangered Columbia River and tributary salmonids. Key project components would include:

• Opening 1,000 feet of historical tidal slough.
• Excavating a network of over 1,800 linear feet of new tidal channels.
• Creating a new flow-through side channel connecting at both ends to the Lewis and Clark River.
• Building a setback levee to protect adjacent properties, allowing for the reconnection of the 30-acre floodplain.
• Breaching the existing levee in multiple locations.
• Strategically lowering marshplain elevations to increase native emergent vegetation.
• Targeting invasive vegetation and installing thousands of native plantings.

Restored hydrology and native vegetation would increase wetland plant diversity, improve edge habitat complexity along channel margins, and provide a variety of prey resources and foraging opportunities for salmonids.

For more information, please visit the NPS’ project website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=109119.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:

To understand the potential environmental impacts of this proposal, the NPS is preparing an environmental assessment (EA), in cooperation with BPA, following the procedures of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  The EA will analyze the proposed action, as well as a no-action alternative in which no restoration, reconnection, or levee realignment actions would be taken at the East Bank Netul site. The EA will also describe anticipated impacts to natural and human resources and will identify mitigation measures to help avoid or minimize impacts. During this process, BPA and NPS will work with landowners, tribes, federal, state and local agencies, and interest groups.

The proposed schedule for the environmental review is as follows:

Scoping comment period – 01/20/2025 to 02/20/2025

Draft EA available for public comment– spring 2025

Final EA – late spring/early summer 2025

Finding of No Significant Impact (if warranted) – late spring/early summer 2025

If decision to build, construction start – Summer 2025

CURRENT STATUS:

NPS and BPA are requesting public scoping comments to help determine the issues that should be addressed in the environmental review. You may send us your comments so they may be considered as we analyze the issues.

The deadline to submit comments to the NPS is February 20th 2025. Instructions explaining how to submit comments are available at the NPS project website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=109119.

CONTACT: