Natural Resources Program

Chehalis Basin Monitoring Program (CBMP)

The CBMP is an integrated program to assess the health of water resources in the Chehalis Basin.  This is a joint project between Grays Harbor College, The Chehalis Basin Partnership, The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis and The Washington State Department of Ecology.  Students and faculty in the natural resources program work with stakeholder groups to collect and analyze water quality data throughout the Chehalis River watershed.  Results from this project are published in an annual State-of-the-River report.

 

Chehalis Basin GIS Clearinghouse

The Chehalis Basin GIS Clearinghouse is a collaborative project to enhance the collection, analysis and distribution of geospatial information in the Chehalis River Basin.  Students and faculty in the natural resources program (particularly students pursuing GIS-oriented degrees and certificates) work with regional stakeholder groups to identify and synthesize available geospatial information in the Chehalis Basin.  Geospatial information is then processed and presented using an on-line ArcGIS Server system.  This is a joint project between Grays Harbor College, The Chehalis Basin Partnership and The Washington State Department of Ecology.

 

Fisheries Restoration

Students and faculty in the GHC natural resources program participate in a variety of fisheries restoration projects in western Washington.  Current projects include: (1) a culvert removal on Nice Creek; (2) restoration of instream habitat on Alder Creek; and (3) implementation of the Ecosystem, Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT) model for the Chehalis Basin.  Faculty are also active members of the Chehalis Basin Habitat Work Group and the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force.

 

Long-term Alder Creek Watershed Monitoring

The Alder Creek monitoring program is a student-driven project to determine the relationship between land use, habitat restoration and instream habitat/water quality in Alder Creek.  As part of the natural resources program course work, students design and implement projects that assess the health of Alder Creek by measuring changes in: (1) instream and riparian habitat; (2) water quality; and (3) fish/invertebrate community composition.  Results are published and presented to the surrounding community.

 

Watershed Outreach

The Costal Resources Learning Center (CRLC) is actively involved in a variety of watershed outreach and education efforts.  Our current projects work with students, teachers, community volunteers and interns to implement classroom activities, field studies and community service projects that highlight watershed stewardship.  Some current projects include the Alder Creek Day Camp for elementary and middle school students and the Summer Watershed Leadership program for high school students.

Students and faculty in the natural resources program participate in a wide range of research and service projects.  Ongoing projects are related to: the Chehalis Basin Monitoring Program; the Chehalis Basin GIS Clearinghouse; Fisheries Restoration; Long-term Monitoring of Alder Creek; and Watershed Outreach.