Second Phase of Native Planting Complete in North Moses Lake Wetlands

The Columbia Basin Conservation District’s (CBCD)  wetlands restoration project north of Moses Lake has reached an exciting milestone. This multi-phase native planting effort, spanning approximately 70 acres of ponds and wetlands, recently completed its second round of planting thanks to the hard work of the Washington Conservation Corps crew from Ellensburg.

Wade Haughton, CBCD Project Manager installing plant protection tubes at the wetlands restoration site.

During this phase, approximately 850 plants were added to the site, including chokecherry, snowberry, woods rose, nootka rose, mockorange, mallow ninebark, and black hawthorn. These species were carefully selected by the team at CBCD for their ability to thrive in this unique wetland environment.

Left: Indira Kulkarni, CBCD Conservation Planner, installs a plant protection tube. Right: Native willow that was planted in phase two of the wetlands restoration project.

To improve the success rate of the new plantings, plant protection tubes have been installed, shielding young plants from potential damage and increasing their chances of survival. Plants for this project were sourced from the WACD Plant Materials Center, Tapteal Native Plants, and Derby Canyon Natives.

Plant protection tubes installed at the wetlands restoration site.

So far, the project has introduced roughly 3,300 plants to the site, including a mix of five native willow species, redosier dogwood, trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses. All of these plants were chosen to support long-term wetland health and biodiversity.

This ongoing restoration effort continues to enhance habitat for wildlife, improve water quality, and support the ecological resilience of the Moses Lake area.

Learn more about the first phase of the wetlands restoration project north of Moses Lake!

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