The Green Cove Creek watershed is the largest watershed on Cooper Point. It is designated as an environmentally sensitive area, as it largely consists of critical area wetlands and highly sensitive aquifer areas. The basin includes Green Cove Creek and the Grass Lake wetlands, both of which are relatively intact.
In 2020, OlyEcosystems conserved 8.5 acres of forested wetlands at the headwaters of Green Cove Creek on Kaiser Road, just outside of city limits. In 2025, we conserved another 9 acres of critical wetlands in this area. Because it is comparatively pristine, Green Cove Creek is among Olympia’s priority areas for salmon habitat protection measures. The riparian corridor consists of mixed conifer and deciduous forest, and dense willow thickets. The habitat supports a population of beavers, threatened Olympic mudminnow, and a long list of other wildlife.
Our restoration plans for Green Cove Creek include removing English ivy, holly, and Himalayan blackberry in preparation for planting more diverse species in the fall of 2025. Since 2021, we have been testing a systematic, manual cutting approach for controlling Japanese Knotweed, which is growing along one bank of Green Cove Creek at this preserve.
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