Lacamas Prairie Natural Area
| Lacamas Prairie Natural Area | |
|---|---|
Camassia quamash blooming at Lacamas Prairie in 2025 | |
| Coordinates | 45°38′33″N 122°27′31″W / 45.6425°N 122.4586°W |
| 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
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
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
- Quamash Prairie Natural Area – a similar Willamette Valley wet prairie located on the Tualatin River in Oregon
References
- ^ a b c d "Lacamas Prairie Natural Area". Washington Department of Natural Resources.
- ^ Conservation Futures 2021: Lacamas Prairie Natural Area (PDF). Clark County, Washington: Clark County Legacy Lands Program. January 2021. p. 6. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ Middlewood, Erin (May 10, 2022). "Lacamas Prairie slowly returning to life". The Columbian. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ^ Phiel, Shari (June 16, 2025). "Prescribed burn at Lacamas Prairie Natural Area part of larger plan to protect against wildfires". The Columbian.
- ^ Read, Quinn; Clinch, Jason (December 3, 2020). Petition To List The Tall Western Penstemon (Penstemon hesperius) Under The Endangered Species Act And Concurrently Designate Critical Habitat (PDF). Center For Biological Diversity/Native Plant Society of Oregon. p. 11. Retrieved June 27, 2025.