Enchanted Meadow Wetlands Sanctuary

Enchanted Meadow Wetlands Sanctuary is located on the Albion River, four miles from the coast. This 52-acre riverside meadow was gifted to CoLT by Beth Bosk and dedicated to habitat protection and neighborly recreation. It is bordered by the Raven’s Call and Cattalini Conservancy, which together protect the redwood forest, riparian, meadow and estuary areas, collectively called Enchanted Meadow.

This area was the focus of challenges to excessive timber harvesting in 1988-89 by the “forest defenders” and the Albion Nation and Navy. Months of protest resulted in a lower harvest regime, limitations on herbicides, and these acreages being placed into land trusts.



Coastal Salmon Stream Assessment

In 1997, the survey team of Mike Maahs, Bob Baxter, Giselle Rainey and Steve Cannata sampled fish & crab species at 10 locations on the Albion River estuary. See the research page for the “Salmonid and other Fish Utilization of the Albion River Estuary” paper on the fish use of the site.

The Albion River Estuary Study identified the upper reach at Enchanted Meadow as an important rearing habitat for the endangered Coho salmon. More smolts were found in the Slaughterhouse Gulch area than anywhere else in the estuary. Smolts (young salmon) live in the brackish waters of the estuary as their bodies grow and adapt to seawater. Salmon are the most well known inhabitants, but the estuary also provides habitat for many species of fish, shellfish, invertebrates, insects and mammals.

The Deadman Gulch trestle lifts the railroadbed some 6 feet above the wet meadow. Redwood pilings and crossbeams 16″ square show the immense size of the redwoods being cut and transported along the railway.





The Albion River was once the route of Albion Lumber Company railroad, developed for transporting logs from the upland region to the mill at Albion Flats. Much of the original trestles now sits on the land trust land and provides a display of the culture of the time.

Two sections of the trestle, at Deadman Gulch and Railroad Gulch sit on pilings of huge redwood logs. Piling logs were also driven into the riverbed to help guide cut logs down river without sticking in the banks. The lower end of the property encompasses “the Boom”, a man-made island used to contain the logs until they were needed downstream. All historic sites are being protected by the land trust and further research is anticipated.

Current stewardship activities include the removal of invasive species in the meadows and planning for restoration of native grasses and forbs and riparian trees. Motorboats are discouraged to provide a quiet atmosphere for wildlife sanctuary. The Enchanted Meadow Stewardship Council will make any major decisions for operations and management.