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Home / Projects / Wingham Farms Partners With Tualatin SWCD to Protect Streams

Wingham Farms Partners With Tualatin SWCD to Protect Streams

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After planting native shrubs and trees.

Going big for conservation!

Daniel and Julie Lee, owners of Wingham Farms, are protecting 31 acres of land adjacent to West Fork Dairy Creek and Whitcher Creek in western Washington County. By restoring vegetation along the sides of the creeks, the Lees are helping protect water quality in the Tualatin River watershed, as well as provide wildlife and pollinator habitat. Since the project began in 2015, over 200,000 native trees, shrubs, and flowers have been planted along the creeks.

This stream enhancement project is a 10-year partnership between willing landowners, Tualatin SWCD, Clean Water Services, the Farm Service Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The project at Wingham Farms is the largest streamside planting project on privately owned land that Tualatin SWCD has ever managed.

Simple solutions to tough problems:

This partnership project aims to establish healthy native plants along streams to create riparian buffers. Planting vegetation between surface water and the surrounding land has many benefits such as:

  • Reducing soil erosion
  • Filtering out pollutantsPollutants A substance that has negative effects on the environment.
  • Lowering in-stream water temperature
  • Restoring critical wildlife habitat
  • Protecting biodiversityBiodiversity The variety of species present.
  • Before planting (2016)
  • After planting (2021)
Native trees and shrubs were planted to create a buffer between fields and nearby streams. The buffer shades the creek, helps prevent runoff from entering the water, and provides habitat for wildlife and pollinators.

Improving the land for people and wildlife:

The bulk of Wingham Farms’ 100 acres is devoted to the production of pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs. This is done with heritage breeds of chickens, ducks, beef and dairy cows, pigs, and goats — all chosen for their suitability to open-pasture grazing and foraging. Daniel and Julie are working to enhance on-farm biodiversity by planting pollinator hedgerows of native plants . The new trees and shrubs among their pastures serve as living fences that will control livestock movement, provide shelter, and offer year-round habitat for beneficial insects.

  • Before planting (2016)
  • After planting (2021)
Native shrubs and trees create a natural barrier to keep livestock from entering the creek. Whitcher Creek, a tributarytributary A river or stream flowing into a larger body of water. to East Fork Dairy Creek, flows below the tall trees in the right side of the photos.

What was removed, and what was planted?

  • The project began in 2015, with the clearing of weeds such as non-native blackberry bushes.
  • Over the years, crews have planted over 200,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers of more than 35 native species!
  • The remnant vegetation along the creeks at Wingham Farms also harbors a large population of Western wahoo, a rare native shrub, which was rescued from the invasive blackberries and incorporated into the project.
Native shrubs and flowers, including twinberry, Oregon grape, and buttercup provide habitat and food for important pollinators and other beneficial insects.

This project is an example of how conservation on working lands can be the next frontier in conservation, and Wingham Farms is helping to lead the way towards practical solutions.

Project Contacts

Mike standing near planted bank
Mike Conroy
Habitat Conservation Specialist

(503) 953-4352

BETHANY LUND – Habitat Conservation Coordinator
Bethany Lund
Habitat Program Coordinator

(503) 467-9565

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Posted In:

Clean Water, Habitat Conservation, Thriving Habitat
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