Glacier-fed refuge: Upper Lewis River up for top-tier protection
The Upper Lewis River, which originates on the western slope of Mount Adams, has been nominated for the highest possible level of protection for waterways: an Outstanding Resource Waters designation. Located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington, the Upper Lewis and its tributaries are known for their clear pools and scenic waterfalls. Susan Saul, founder of the Cascade Forest Conservancy, said she has hiked in the area for decades and the Upper Lewis provides the glacier-fed, low water temperatures salmon and other fish need and are harder to come by in a warming climate. "It's cold, clear water all the way down to the first reservoir. It's one of the last rivers in western Washington that still has bull trout in it, which is now federally listed as a threatened and endangered species," Saul pointed out. An Outstanding Resource Waters designation would safeguard the Upper Lewis from anything that could degrade its water quality, like development, mining and pollution. The river is one of four nominated to the Washington Department of Ecology this year. Backers of the enhanced protection said the Upper Lewis River is important for fish and wildlife habitat, and for recreation. Bryan Stewart, a
