Camas Shorelines Master Program

Camas shorelines are protected by local, state and federal laws. Check before making changes to shorelines. The City's Shorelines Master Program (SMP) helps you navigate the law and preserve these spaces for all who rely on them. Camas and its urban growth boundary have 946 acres on 26 miles of shorelines — along Lacamas Creek, Fallen Leaf Lake, Lacamas Lake, Round Lake, and the Columbia and Washougal rivers. This City-owned land is habitat — for people, but also for plants, birds, fish, mammals and insects. Diverse and complex, shorelines are vital to our economy and communities, and important to our heritage.

Respect Shoreline Trails

When you visit shoreline trails, respect the neighbors — human, animal, plant and insect. If you live near a shoreline, respect others' trail access for recreation and rejuvenation on this City-owned land.

If You Live Near a Shoreline

As a shoreline neighbor, you're in a powerful position to preserve and protect. Take the following restorative actions and you'll likely also reap rewards:

• Fewer geese on your property
• More attractive views from indoors or a deck
• A more inviting water's edge that you and your guests will use even more often

Set a buffer — a protective zone that you treat differently than your yard. Start it at least 50 feet from the shoreline. Inside this buffer zone:

• Don't mow grass, clear brush, or cut down trees and bushes. Shoreline ecosystems depend on dense, diverse foliage. Even dead or dying trees (called "snags") are habitat for wildlife. Near structures and roads, trees reduce heat and extend service life.
• Don't use chemicals. They can spread damage throughout the shoreline ecosystem.
• Don't dump lawn clippings or other yard waste in the water. They can disturb the natural food chain.
• Keep pets out. As predators, they can drive out wildlife even if their hunts don't succeed.
• Grow appropriate plants and trees. See a list of plants that create a healthy shoreline environment.

Remove armor, restore beach. Many Camas shoreline stretches don't have fast-moving currents or fast watercraft, so they don’t need armoring with rocks, fencing or other hardscapes. Restoring a beach can be as straightforward as removing armor, laying back the slope to a stable angle, adding appropriate gravel and plants, and topping off the gravel every few years.

Keep docks narrow and open. This helps prevent them from deeply shading the water below, reducing "dark alleys" that are harmful to salmon and other inhabitants.

Note: New and replacement docks and other over water structures require a permit from the City, with subsequent permits from state and federal agencies.

Assistance and Information

Before you start a project near a shoreline, contact Camas Planning Division at communitydevelopment@cityofcamas.us or 360-817-1568.

About the SMP

Read the full SMP document (PDF, 6 MB)

Goals

• Balance preservation and development to allow mutually compatible uses.
• Identify and reserve areas with unique attributes for commercial, residential, industrial, water, wildlife, fisheries, recreational and open-space uses.
• Promote public health, safety, and general welfare.
• Minimize public and private losses from flooding in specific areas.
• Increase the public’s ability to enjoy the water's edge, travel on the water, and view the water and shoreline from nearby locations.
• Ensure safe, clean water for the public's needs and enjoyment.
• Protect shoreline resources, vegetation, important features, ecological functions and the processes that sustain them.
• Re-establish, rehabilitate and otherwise improve impaired shoreline ecology through voluntary and incentive programs and actions.
• Avoid or minimize shoreline armoring. When armoring is necessary, protect ecosystems, shoreline functions, and downstream properties.

Recent Updates

The City reviews the SMP every eight years as required by the state. During the most recent review in spring 2021, the City adopted the following changes:

• Permits for some types of shoreline development became easier to obtain and less often required — especially for homeowners.
• Requirements for the length of new docks and the width of pilings changed to better fit the unique conditions within the Columbia River and to reduce the need for variances.
• Tree regulations in Appendix C were updated for consistency with Camas Municipal Code, Title 16.