Harkens Lake is a relict channel of the Willamette River that has been modified by two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revetments, multiple low water crossings, and agricultural land uses.  Under current conditions, Harkens Lake is backwatered by the Willamette River during winter and spring flows.  As the system no longer experiences sufficient flow-through due to the upstream disconnection from the Willamette River, sedimentation and vegetation encroachment have degraded habitat for native species including juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead.

Interest in the Harkens Lake property grew out of the 2002 publication of the Willamette River Basin Planning Atlas, where it was featured as the quintessential restoration opportunity.  The large tracts of in-tact native floodplain forest, adjacent public ownership, and willing landowners combined to make Harkens Lake a frontrunner in the Focal Area Ranking Criteria.  In partnership with OWEB and BPA, Greenbelt was able to acquire a conservation easement on 370 acres of Harkens Lake in 2011.  

Greenbelt is implementing a phased approach to restoration of the Harkens Lake property. Phase 1 began in 2012 with an OWEB grant that established 70 acres of riparian forest in former agricultural fields.  Separate funding then allowed Greenbelt to contract with River Design Group to develop a Restoration Alternatives Analysis for Harkens Lake. Phase two focused on earthwork activities that aimed to improve connectivity between the Willamette River, the floodplain, and a 2.5 mile side channel. This BPA funded project  (66813) removed fish passage barriers and involved grading of the floodplain. The primary goal of the current Phase 3 is to plant 120 acres of native vegetation on former agricultural land.  Sixty acres will be planted into a diverse riparian forest and an additional sixty acres will be planted to native herbaceous prairie vegetation.  We anticipate these actions will greatly improve conditions for native fish populations, such as spring Chinook, as well as a multitude of other species of conservation concern (Oregon vesper sparrow, western pond turtle, red-legged frog, etc.).