During the summer of 2021, in coordination with the Sandy River Watershed Council, we conducted a plant survey at the Sandy River Delta. The plant survey included over eight hundred photo points that were GPS marked and transferred to ArcGIS Online. This report provides a summary of the project and includes survey maps of the results.

You can read it here.

As part of the survey, wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) has a special focus. The survey results show a wapato population reduction at one location along the east side of the channel. The area has a history of heavy public use in the summer as dog owners bring their dogs to play in the water at this location. The 2021 summer was an especially hot and dry year, so perhaps, lower water levels and/or a lower water table impacted the wapato. Future years will be indicators of wapato survival at this location.

However, we were able to document a much heavier wapato population along the north channel from the area just north and going eastward along the channel of the bird blind area. We hope that on-going monitoring of this area will continue. The area has moderate public use during the summer lower water period.

The Sandy River Delta landscape is a mixture of open areas that have short grasses to areas of taller areas and thick shrubs. The forested areas are covered with older Black Cottonwood with a mixture of oak and ash. The understory is a mixture of native and non-native species. The open areas are where previous tree plantings and restoration has occurred. Some of these areas were hit hard with the hot, dry year. We hope the plantings will survive and rebound.

Read full report by clicking on the PDF link to the left.