Restoration project on Willamette Slough enters final year

Since 2019, the Willamette Riverkeeper has been working with the city of Salem to remove Ludwigia, an invasive aquatic weed, from the Willamette Slough at Minto-Brown Island Park. Ludwigia threatens native plants and wildlife, including habitat for federally protected spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead. As described in The Salem Reporter, crews are traveling the length of the 87-acre slough to spray herbicide on dense mats of water weeds to open up channels to kayakers and native fish. More than 12,500 native shrubs and trees were planted along the riparian banks this spring to improve habitat and slow the spread of Ludwigia. Vanessa Youngblood is the restoration manager for Willamette Riverkeeper. She joins us with more details on the project as it enters its final year and future restoration work along the river.