For the past 15 years, Spokane County has worked to restore a wide swath of wetlands in an area just south of I-90 near Liberty Lake. The 600-acre wetlands were drained a century ago, with the rich soil that was left behind serving as home to the Morrison Ranch. In the early 2000s the county acquired the property as part of a water reclamation project. Though they didn't end up using the land for that purpose, the wetlands restoration did proceed, using runoff from nearby Mica Peak, says Nicole Feiten, Spokane County water resources specialist.
It didn't take long for the newly watered area to experience a rebirth. "All those wetland seeds were kind of kept in the soil, even for all the last 100 years of farming," Feiten says. "It really just needed that water to come back and give them the right growing conditions for their plant type."
Native plants are now flourishing in the flats, which look more like a wide shallow lake in the springtime. The area has become an important stop-over for large numbers of migratory birds, with flat trails offering prime bird-watching, while signage along the way explains the unique ecosystem.
Feiten says as part of the county's negotiations to buy the land from the Morrison family, it agreed to build an education center and name it after Morrison ranch matriarch Doris Morrison. The new DORIS MORRISON LEARNING CENTER is a 3,000-square-foot center with a gallery featuring many fascinating bird displays as well classroom space. A grand opening preview in April drew hundreds of families, and the center is scheduled to be open to the public for about 16 hours a week starting later this summer. It will also serve as a destination for school field trips and other community activities.
