We are currently accepting new project concept proposals and updated projects for our 2025 Four Year Work Plan.

Submittal deadline is Nov. 5, 2024. Please refer to our How to Submit a 2025 Work Plan Project.

For more information, please email the Coordinator for the North Olympic Peninsula Lead Entity for Salmon at cbaumann@co.clallam.wa.us

Proposed Projects include:

Little Hoko River Wood Restoration

The Little Hoko River is the largest tributary to the Hoko River, which is the largest watershed in WRIA 19. The river supports populations of chinook, coho, and chum salmon as well as cutthroat, steelhead and lamprey. The lower portions of the Little Hoko River were conserved in the early 1990’s when the Cowan homestead was purchased by Washington State Parks. Simultaneously, a large scale restoration project was implemented by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe between 1994-1998. In this project cattle were initially fenced out of the riparian zone (and later removed), extensive riparian plantings completed, several off-channel habitats created, and additions of wood made to the channel. The type of wood additions used in the 1990’s consisted of mostly single log structures and small logjams built with cut logs. While the original restoration effort as
improved channel and riparian habitats, the majority of wood placements have been buried under accumulated gravel. This has greatly improved spawning habitat, however additional restoration work using complexes of large wood are necessary to improve rearing habitat. Based on the results of the design process we propose to use a helicopter to place logs in complex accumulations at 25 locations between river mile 0-3.0.

Johnson Creek Triple Culvert Restoration

The Johnson Creek Triple Culverts project is a restoration project that seeks to construct the replacement of three adjacent, fish barrier culverts #80001261 with a fish passable structure to open access to 15.6 acres of summer and winter rearing as well as 2.4 linear miles of spawning and rearing habitat. This is NOPLES #1 ranked culvert project in the Pysht HUC 10. Replacement of these structures will re-connect hydraulic processes within a wetland that is currently bisected roughly in half. Johnson Creek is a Hoko River tributary . Chinook, coho, steelhead, cutthroat trout, and lamprey all inhabit this area and will benefit from the project. The Johnson B tributary runs along the southern road edge in the road ditch, for ~700 before meeting Johnson Creek at the culvert outlets. This Johnson B reach and the road negatively impact one another. Johnson B suffers from straightening, no no left bank riparian, no instream wood and is actively eroding road aggregate into the channel. The Johnson B tributary has historically contained some of the highest redd densities for the area (WDFW-SSI Database). Funds would go to construction of culvert replacements, and the relocation of the B-Tributary into the adjacent forest where we will reintroduce sinuosity, LWD habitat structures and pool riffle sequences. Construction of the project without moving Johnson B is impractical from culvert correction constructability, roadway maintenance, and salmon habitat benefit perspectives.

Hoko River Tributary Fish Passage Design

The project will complete a final design for the replacement of a Clallam County Road Culvert (#80001279) on an unnamed Hoko River tributary (19.0169) which enters the Hoko at river mile 9.4. This funding will match a funding request to the Fish Barrier Removal Board. The culvert is 0% assable with available spawning and rearing habitat upstream. This tributary stream is somewhat unique in the Hoko River watershed due to its watershed size and also in its relatively low channel slopes. It exhibits good sinuosity, adequate spawning gravels, good riparian cover, and large instream wood complexes. This is NOPLES 3rd ranked culvert correction in the Pysht HUC 10. The culvert is only 235 ft upstream from the tributary’s confluence with the Hoko River. Culvert replacement will open .85 Miles of salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat.