At the south end of Lake Whatcom, 21 acres of moderately sloping field and an alder belt create the Anderson Creek Preserve. With the addition of this preserve, a large stretch of Anderson Creek, riparian buffer and upland, have been unified under city ownership. The Preserve, and other conservation lands that cluster in the broad, partially forested valley surrounding the creek, are visible from the south side of Park Road near the Blue Canyon intersection.
Once severed by railroad tracks and heavily used for farming and logging, this area of South Bay Valley now boasts a growing expanse of new evergreens, native foliage, and refined meadowlands.
Additional city conservation efforts focus on the channel, long used for the outfall of water diverted from the Nooksack River. Removing invasive undergrowth, replanting the fields with trees, and enhancing the stream corridor for wildlife habitat, set the stage for the land’s slow return to the natural conditions that improve the ecosystem and overall water quality.
Total Acres
- 21 acres; 5 units removed from development
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