On the Refuge

Steigerwald Lake NWR will be closed August 8 - September 30 

The final phase of the $32 million Steigerwald Reconnection Project begins on August 8, 2022, at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge will close for approximately two months to complete the trail system, install salmon monitoring equipment, finalize floodplain habitat improvements, and remove construction roads and the old parking lot. Visitor amenities, including interpretive message boards and benches, will also be completed during the temporary closure.  

Keep up to date on all the incredible stories coming out of Steigerwald Reconnection Project by following, us (@refugestewards) and the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership (@estuarypartnership) on Instagram and Facebook, and also following the Refuge2020 Blog.

From Our Volunteer Coordinator

We are thrilled to be bringing volunteers back to work!  So far we have been slowly reactivating volunteers who were with us in the past before COVID.  We have 11 trail stewards now at Steigerwald helping answer visitors questions and being a welcoming face on the trails.  We will be onboarding new volunteers during the summer with our next Volunteer Training on July 17th.  This is for folks that want to volunteer for positions that work with visitors or in the community. This position is called Refuge Ambassadors, and if you enjoy getting to know people and sharing your enthusiasm, we would love to have you join us! Email volunteer@refugestewards.org to learn more. 

Habitat restoration projects are currently limited due to much of the work at Steigerwald is still being done by contractors.  We will have opportunities soon!