Campen Creek Reconnection Project

About the Project

The Campen Creek Reconnection Project is a 9-acre urban restoration initiative located within Mable Kerr Park. The project, which is co-led by the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership (Estuary Partnership) and the City of Washougal, aims to enhance habitats both within the park by re-establishing the natural connection between Campen Creek and its floodplain. To accomplish this, the project will replace the current, artificial, and degraded single creek channel with a natural floodplain, including wetlands, a meandering creek channel, wood habitat structures, and native riparian plantings. The project will also extend and enhance the trail system at Mable Kerr Park to improve access to the restored natural areas and increase public safety by removing hazard trees (these trees will be repurposed throughout the project to create natural floodplain habitat).

August 2025 update

On August 11, 2025, Mable Kerr Park will be temporarily closed for the construction of the Campen Creek Reconnection Project. To ensure public safety during construction, Mable Kerr Park will be temporarily closed to the public through September 26, 2025. Access from Gifford Place will be fully restricted, and access via Sunset View will be limited to the first half mile of the park.

What's next

Mable Kerr Park will close for the construction of the Campen Creek Reconnection Project on August 11, 2025. Construction is expected to conclude by September 26, 2025.
Throughout 2025 and 2025, the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership will continue working within the project area to plant native trees and shrubs. Community members interested in participating in planting events are encouraged to sign up for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership’s electronic newsletter to stay informed about upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Project History

In 2022, the Estuary Partnership and its partners completed the Steigerwald Reconnection Project. After the successful completion of the 1200-acre project, the Estuary Partnership looked upstream to find additional ways to improve water quality and support salmon recovery. Campen Creek is the largest tributary to Gibbons Creek – the creek that flows across Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge before entering the Columbia River. Improving water quality and salmon habitat in Campen Creek has a direct benefit to downstream waterways, including Gibbons Creek and the Columbia River.

Additionally, the Estuary Partnership, City of Washougal, and the Washougal School District are also starting work on the Campen Creek Stormwater Improvement Project. This project aims to address an issue at Washougal High School and surrounding city streets where stormwater from nearly 9 acres of impervious surface discharges through a pipe, mostly untreated, directly into Campen Creek above Mable Kerr Park. 

Project Goals

The goal of this project is to restore Campen Creek’s connection with its natural floodplain within Mable Kerr Park in a manner that enhances the park visitor’s experience and improves habitat for fish and wildlife.

Project documents:

Project Timeline

Public Comment Period: April 1-16
August 11, 2025 – construction on Campen Creek Reconnection Project begins
September 30, 2025 – In-water construction elements of the Campen Creek Reconnection Project ends
October 11, 2025 – All construction elements of the Campen Creek Reconnection Project ends
Fall 2025 – winter 2026 – professional foresters will plant native trees and shrubs within the Campen Creek Reconnection Project area; Estuary Partnership hosts volunteer community planting events (sign up for project listserv to be informed of community planting opportunities)

How to Stay Connected

The Estuary Partnership hosts a Campen Creek Reconnection Project listserv. People interested in receiving occasional project updates are encouraged to sign up https://estuarypartnership.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/estuarypartnership/subscribe.jsp?subscription=146