Logging & Forestry
A working landscape with lasting effects.
Logging has shaped the Jordan River Watershed for more than a century and remains an active land use today. Beyond forest harvesting on land, forestry operations have also directly altered the river itself through in-river log sorting and the disposal of wood waste near the river mouth. Together, these activities have changed how water, sediment and habitat function across the watershed and estuary.
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Industrial-scale forestry affects the watershed in multiple ways. Ongoing harvesting and road networks alter forest cover and drainage patterns, increasing erosion and changing how water moves into streams. At the river mouth, the use of the Jordan River for log sorting, periodic dredging to keep channels deep enough for boats and the disposal of wood waste near the estuary have disrupted natural flow patterns, sediment movement and habitat structure.
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Active logging and the log sort operation continue to reshape how the Jordan River functions. Using the river for log sorting, dredging the river mouth and filling in the estuary have changed how the river meets the ocean and how habitats function in that space. Together, these pressures make it harder for salmon to migrate, spawn and survive, and weaken the watershed’s ability to recover from floods, drought and other climate stresses.
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Improving watershed health requires addressing both current forestry practices and legacy impacts. This includes managing forests with water and habitat in mind, restoring riparian areas, reducing sediment inputs and recognizing the importance of estuaries as critical transition zones. Collaborative planning among landowners, forestry operators, regulators and the community is essential to support a more resilient watershed and healthier river system.
Forests help slow, store and release water throughout the year. When forest structure changes, this balance shifts, leading to higher winter flows, lower summer water levels and increased sediment in streams. Together, these changes affect the watershed’s resilience and its ability to support life, including salmon.
Understanding Key Events:
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Following colonial settlement in 1858, timber extraction expanded across the Jordan River Watershed. Forests surrounding the river and its tributaries were increasingly cleared to support settlement and industrial development, beginning long-term changes to land cover feeding the Jordan River.
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Rail infrastructure introduced in the 1930s enabled industrial-scale logging to expand throughout the Jordan River Watershed. Harvesting intensified across the landscape, increasing road development and altering forest structure at a watershed scale.
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As logging activity increased, the Jordan River itself was used for log sorting and storage. Logs were handled directly in the river, introducing wood debris and disturbing riverbed and estuary conditions at the mouth of the Jordan River.
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Wood waste generated by logging operations was disposed of in a landfill near the river mouth, infilling much of the Jordan River estuary. This altered the natural shape and function of the estuary, reducing habitat and changing how freshwater and marine systems connected at the river’s outlet.
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Decades of harvesting, road building, in-river operations, dredging and estuary infilling contributed to long-term changes in sediment, water quality and habitat conditions within the Jordan River Watershed.
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![The log sort operation at Jordan River showing log booms and piles of logs on shore.]()
Log Sort Operation
Logging trucks bring logs to the log sort site, where they’re sorted and measured on land, then placed into the water near the river mouth. The logs are then tied together into large floating bundles called booms.
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Wood Waste Landfill Locations
Where the landfill locations are from the log sort operation.
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Wood Waste Landfill
Under the overgrowth sits a landfill of wood waste from the log sort.
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Hisotrical photo
Description needed
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![log boom getting pushed out to sea by a tugboat]()
Log Booms
A tug boat taking a log boom out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca through the river mouth.
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![a logged area on a steep embankment]()
River Bank
Logging along the bank above the river.
What We’re Working On
We respect the rights and authority of Pacheedaht First Nation to log in their territory. At the same time, we hope to find common ground where industry, governments and communities can work together to protect salmon, water and the long-term health of the Jordan River watershed.
What You Can Do
HELP FUND SOLUTIONS
Support monitoring, research and restoration that address ongoing contamination and watershed health through one-time or monthly donations.
SEND A LETTER TO YOUR MP
Add your voice to calls for accountability, long-term stewardship and action on legacy contamination in the watershed.
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VOLUNTEER WITH JRWA
Get involved in local monitoring, outreach and stewardship activities that support the long-term health of the watershed.
Keep Learning
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