Wildlife Programs

Many plants, trees, mammals, birds and other wildlife that make their home near the Nisqually River Project are getting a helping hand from Tacoma Power. A significant part of the Nisqually River Project is the 3,500 acres of land dedicated to wildlife. The wildlife lands include the 26-mile transmission line corridor, lands surrounding Alder Lake and the project, and other lands upstream and downstream from Alder Lake.

The wildlife program maintains and improves Tacoma Power's wildlife lands as they support the diverse plant and animal life in the Nisqually basin. The land is protected and in some cases restored.

As a part of Tacoma Power's wildlife management plan, no-wake zones have been established in Alder Lake to decrease the rate of erosion, protect nesting waterfowl and minimize disturbance to ospreys and eagles.

Below Alder and LaGrande dams, canyon-like terrain exists that has had little, if any, disturbance. The wildlife management plan calls for little activity in this zone to preserve the canyon’s natural state.

To increase nesting opportunities for wood ducks, 35 nest boxes were constructed and installed along the Alder Lake shoreline and downstream of the dams. In a highly successful year more than 100 ducklings hatch from these boxes. Tacoma Power has also installed nesting structures for osprey and roosting boxes for bats.

The utility has also created 100 acres of grass pastures to provide critical winter range habitat for elk. Biologists are monitoring these sites and have observed an abundance of wildlife use.

Along the transmission line corridor, Tacoma Power placed markers on the power lines to reduce the chance that birds, such as eagles or ospreys, could accidentally fly into the lines. Sixty-four nest boxes were also installed along the corridor to add habitat for western bluebirds, a colorful native species of the Oak savannas of the area. Bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds have used these structures each year since they were installed.

On the upstream wildlife lands, Tacoma Power restored a 5-acre gravel pit for wildlife. The reclaimed site was sprayed with TAGRO, a soil amendment, and planted with high-quality grass for elk and deer.

One long-term goal is to increase biological diversity through the establishment of mature forest communities. To achieve this goal, Tacoma Power has thinned stands of dense, young tress to accelerate the development of mature forest. Other forest areas are preserved to allow them to age naturally.

Tacoma Power continues to create and enhance wildlife habitat as part of the Nisqually River Project.

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