Restoring a Wetland on the Necanicum Estuary
Building on the success of a pilot project in 2024 and strong support from numerous community partners, NCLC continued to expand its restoration efforts at Shangrila Wetland Habitat Reserve in 2025.
Shangrila Wetland, an ecologically rich wetland preserve, is located in the heart of the City of the Seaside. The reserve lies near the top of the Necanicum estuary and encompasses 71 acres of land with high conservation value, including intertidal salt marsh, tidally influenced freshwater wetlands, freshwater marsh, mature Sitka spruce, and upland forest. The property includes 0.5 miles of Shangrila Creek and is home to a great diversity of wildlife, including Coho salmon, elk, red-legged frogs, rufous hummingbirds, willow flycatchers, great blue herons and bald eagles.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the reserve has faced an increase in human impact. In particular, about 11 acres have suffered ecological degradation from unpermitted human use.
In Spring 2024, NCLC launched a pilot restoration project on a small portion of the site. It involved cleaning up trash and debris; installing temporary fencing; and planting native shrubs, sedges, and forbs, which have experienced the most detrimental impact. Taking into consideration the success of that project, the stewardship team started developing plans for additional restoration at this culturally and ecologically significant reserve. With support and funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, it will encompass an additional 10 acres.
In the late winter and early spring of 2025, NCLC’s stewardship team worked with the property’s neighbors and the City of Seaside to move forward with a cleanup, planting, and more permanent fencing. This is a long-term restoration project that is still ongoing and there will be more updates in 2026. Read More