Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition

RESTORATION OF SALMON HABITAT

RESTORATION OF SALMON HABITAT SITES:(1) GOODMAN CREEK LWD PLACEMENT - SRF BOARD FUNDING WAS AWARDED TO PLACE A KEY PIECE SIZED LWD INTO GOODMAN CREEK ALONG A 1 MILE STRETCH IDENTIFIED BY THE ASSESSMENT REPORT. ENGINEERING AND STAGING WAS COMPLETED IN 2019. IMPLEMENTED CONSTRUCTION PHASE IN SUMMER OF 2021. PROJECT WAS COMPLETED & CLOSED OUT DECEMBER OF 2021. (2) KUGEL CREEK - A FISH PASSAGE PROJECT THAT WILL OPEN ACCESS TO APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES OF HABITAT. THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY WCRI AND IS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CLALLAM COUNTY. ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS AWARDED IN THE FALL/WINTER OF 2021. SIGNED AMENDMENT TO FUNDS IN JANUARY 2022 WITH THE GOAL OF COMMENCEMENT IN 2022. (3) BOULDER CREEK CREOSOTE PILING REMOVAL - CREOSOTE PILING LEFT BEHIND FROM A CROSSING ABANDONMENT PROJECT WILL BE REMOVED. ENGINEERING WAS COMPLETED DURING THE 2019 - 2020 FISCAL PERIOD. A TIME EXTENSION FOR THE PROJECT WAS APPROVED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN AUGUST OF 2021. THE PROJECT WAS DELAYED DUE TO A PENDING USACE PERMIT. IT IS EXPECTED TO RECOMMENCE IN 2023. (4) MORGANROTH SPRINGS FISH PASSAGE FINAL DESIGN - SRF BOARD AWARDED FUNDING IN 2019 TO FINALIZE THE PRELIMINARY DESIGNS. THIS PROJECT IS ORIENTED TOWARDS A PERMANENT, LOW TO NO MAINTENANCE SOLUTION IN PROVIDING A FISH PASSAGE FOR ALL SPECIES THAT WILL RESTORE AND IMPROVE HABITAT CONDITIONS FOR REARING JUVENILE COHO SALMON. FINAL DESIGN WAS COMPLETED IN 2021. THE DESIGNS WERE PENDING REVIEW BY PROJECT PARTNERS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF MODIFICATIONS. THE FINAL DESIGNS WILL BE SUBMITTED IN 2022. SSHEAR LAGACY FISHWAY RESOLUTION - SRP BOARD FUNDING WAS AWARDED IN 2020 AND PLACED IN ACTIVE STATUS IN JANUARY 2021. THE INTENT OF THIS RESTORATION PROJECT IS TO RESTORE FISH PASSAGE AT THREE OFF-CHANNEL SITES -- TALL TIMER, ELKHORN, AND T-BONE. THE GOALS IS TO PROVIDE PERMANENT ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, HIGH QUANTITY HABITAT THROUGH NATURAL FUNCTIONING PROCESS FOR JUVENILE SALMONIDS. IN 2021, WE ACCOMPLISHED PARTNER COORDINATION FOR DESIGN PLANNING. THE GOAL IN 2022 IS TO CREATE DESIGNS & APPLY FOR PERMITS WITH THE POTENTIAL OF COMMENCING IN 2023.ASSESSMENT & SURVEY PROJECTS:OFF CHANNEL HABITAT ASSESSMENT & DESIGN - RCO APPROVED FUNDING IN MID TO LATE YEAR OF 2021, HOWEVER, FUNDING WASN'T ACTIVE UNTIL APRIL OF 2022. IN THE LATE 1980'S EARLY 1990'S, WDFW IDENTIFIED AND DEVELOPED 54 OFF CHANNEL HABITAT SITES WITH THE INTENT TO INCREASE CAPACITY (AREA AND DEPTH) OF THE SELECTED HABITAT. SEVERAL METHODS WERE USED, DEPENDING ON SITE CONDITIONS, TO EXCAVATE PONDS AND INSTALL PLANK/LOG/ROCK WEIRS OR LUMBER/CONCRETE FISH WAYS TO ESTABLISH MORE PERMANENT ACCESS AND INCREASE HABITAT AREA AND PRODUCTIVITY. WDFE SUPPORTED THESE IMPROVEMENTS UNTIL 2004 WHEN PACIFIC COAST SALMON COALITION (PCSC) TOOK OVER MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES. THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE AT THE END OF THEIR LIFESPAN, REGULAR MAINTENANCE IS NO LONGER ADEQUATE, AND FAILURES WILL MEAN LOSS OF HIGH QUALITY HABITAT, MAINLY FOR JUVENILE COHO REARING, BUT ALSO INCLUDING ADULT SPAWNING AT SOME SITES, AND ADULT AND JUVENILE UTILIZATION BY CHINOOK, STEELHEAD, AND SEVERAL TROUT SPECIES. PCSC BEGAN AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT IN 2018 OF THESE SITES WITH BIOLOGICAL SUPPORT FROM WDFW AND WATERSHED MANAGERS. THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT SHOWED THAT ALL HABITAT SITES WERE IN AN ADVANCED STATE OF DISREPAIR AND WILL REQUIRE EXTENSIVE FUNDS/LABOR TO MAKE NEEDED RENOVATIONS TO KEEP THE HABITAT FUNCTIONAL. IT WAS THE OPINION OF PCSC, WDFW, QUILEUTE TRIBE, AND HOH TRIBE THAT A DIFFERENT SOLUTION WAS NEEDED OTHER THAN KEEPING AND CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN EXISTING STRUCTURES. THE NEED FOR A COORDINATED EFFORT TO ASSESS CURRENT CONDITIONS AND DEVELOP A CLEAR PATH FORWARD FOR EACH SITE HAS GIVEN RISE TO THIS GRANT APPLICATION. FOREST SERVICE - TITLE II GRANT FUNDS:EAGLE SPRINGS - THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE THE HABITAT QUALITY OF A SOL DUC TRIBUTARY FOR THE BENEFIT OF COHO, CHINOOK, AND SOCKEYE SALMON, STEELHEAD AND CUTTHROAT TROUT. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE TO PLACE A COVER/HABITAT LARGE WOODY DEBRIS (LWD), PLACE SPAWNING GRAVELS, PLANT RIPARIAN ZONE WITH CONIFERS AND NATIVE SPECIES, AND TO TREAT INVASIVE SPECIES.

MONITORING & MAINTENANCE:THE ORGANIZATION MONITORS 55 WDFW SITES AND OVER 100 MORE SITES THAT INCLUDE PAST AND CURRENT PROJECTS AND FISH PASSAGE SITES. CAPITAL FUNDS ARE BEING USED TO ASSESS AND EVALUATE OFF CHANNEL SITES FOR CORRECTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN 2020. THIS HELPED PCSC TO ACQUIRE TWO GRANTS FRO RCO. IN 2021, PCSC STARTED THE GIS DEVELOPMENT ON THE PROJECT SITES THEY'VE BEEN MONITORING.

NUTRIENT ENHANCEMENT:THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED A LARGE NUMBER OF SALMON CARCASSES FROM LOCAL WDFW HATCHERIES. APPROXIMATELY 20-30 PERCENT OF WHICH WERE FOOD QUALITY AND WERE DONATED TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS. THE REST WENT TO NUTRIENT ENHANCEMENT IN THE LOCAL WATERSHEDS (WRIA 20 & 21).