Lacamas Prairie Natural Area
| Lacamas Prairie Natural Area | |
|---|---|
| File:Lacamas prairie camas.jpg Camassia quamash blooming at Lacamas Prairie in 2025 | |
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| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Area | 211 acres (85 ha) |
| Established | 2007 |
| Owner | Washington Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | https://dnr.wa.gov/natural-areas/natural-area-preserves/lacamas-prairie-natural-area |
Lacamas Prairie Natural Area is a Washington Natural Area in Clark County, Washington. It encompasses the 211 combined acres of Lacamas Prairie Natural Area Preserve and Lacamas Prairie Natural Resources Conservation Area.[1]
The natural area serves to protect the Willamette Valley wet prairie ecosystem, as well as the Oregon white oak and Oregon ash forests surrounding the prairie.[1]
Conservation
[edit | edit source]Lacamas Prairie Natural Resources Conservation Area/Natural Area was first established in 2007 following land acquisition by Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who continues to administer the combined units.[2] DNR aims to conserve the total 1,622 acres of prairie in the area. In addition to the DNR owned lands, 244 acres are owned and protected by Clark County, and an additional 14 are owned by Columbia Land Trust. The remaining land is privately owned. Between 2019 and 2021, DNR was granted $6.3 million by the state of Washington for the purposes of land acquisition and stewardship for Lacamas Prairie.[3]
DNR periodically performs prescribed burns to maintain the prairie ecosystem and reduce populations of invasive species.[4]
Ecology
[edit | edit source]The prairie is home to one of the largest known populations of the endangered Bradshaw's lomatium.[1] It is the location of one of only five known populations of tall western penstemon, and represents the sole population in Washington.[5] Other sensitive species of the prairie include Oregon coyote-thistle, Hall's aster, dense sedge, Nuttall's quillwort, and small-flowered trillium.[1]
See also
[edit | edit source]- Quamash Prairie Natural Area – a similar Willamette Valley wet prairie located on the Tualatin River in Oregon
References
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