Photo by Charlie Raines

Location: King County

Acreage: 302.00 acres

Ownership History: CLC set up a conservation easement with Plum Creek Timberlands, L.P. in 2004. Plum Creek subsequently sold the protected land to the City of Tacoma’s water division in their Department of Public Utilities.

Property Description: Sawmill Creek is one of the healthiest tributaries in the heavily impacted Green River Watershed.  The west bank of the creek is protected as part of the roadless Kelly Butte Special Management Area.

Conservation Values: This property provides a critical link in the north-south connectivity west of the Cascade Crest. It contains magnificent old-growth forests, productive wetland areas, and talus slopes with diverse lichens. Sawmill Creek supports a distinct population of native trout and is one of only two tributaries in the upper Green River basin which provides good fish habitat with a mix of pools, riffles, and large woody debris.