Project Showcase
The Chehalis Basin Collaborative for Salmon Habitat has restored rivers through correcting undersized culverts to improve fish passage, permanently protecting key habitat through strategic land acquisition, and restoring instream and riparian conditions through plantings, invasive species control, and channel restoration. Below are just a few examples of stand-out projects in the Chehalis Basin.
West Fork of the Hoquiam River
Project sponsors Duck Unlimited and the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust received funding from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board Project (SRFB) (20-1022) to acquire and conserve 39 acres along the West Fork. (Five miles upstream of Hoquiam.) The project includes 10 acres of wetlands, and 0.5 mile of shoreline on the West Hoquiam River.
Five acres of surge-plain spruce forest is currently being re-established, with the goal to create a plant community similar to valley bottom spruce forest and scrub-shrub wetlands on nearby properties. It’s part of a larger effort to restore high quality surge plain and riparian habitats critical to rearing depressed salmon stocks of Hoquiam Fall Chinook and Hoquiam Winter Steelhead, as well as Coho, Chum and Coastal Cutthroat. This action implements Chehalis Basin Lead Entity Strategy general actions for Tier 1 concerns of Water Quality and Riparian Habitat.
Onsite, over two thousand Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar and smaller trees and shrubs were planted. The plants were chosen to form a quick growing, dense, low maintenance scrub-shrub plant community similar to natural surge plain scrub-shrub zones dominated by dogwood.
According to Jan Robinson, former president of the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust, “The project also received support from local organizations including Grays Harbor County, the Grays Harbor Marine Resources Committee and Grays Harbor Audubon Society… And now the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust is the owner of this lovely parcel. We know that the river, wildlife, and salmon will all continue to be conserved forever.”
The Tide is Coming Home – The Middle Fork Hoquiam Tidal Restoration Project
This project aims to restore approximately 175 acres of tidal habitat in the lower Middle Fork Hoquiam River on land owned and managed by the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust (CRBLT). Grays Harbor Conservation District (District) is the project sponsor for CRBLT. Restoration involved reopening tidal channels through installation of a tide gate, permanently removing stream culverts throughout the CRBLT ownership; removal of temporary ditch crossing and blockage of ditch channel, piling removal, debris and fill removal, including two major timed tidal breaches. Brumfield Construction removed over 1000 timber pilings and excavation materials of tidal channel. Over 40,000 cubic yards of material were excavated below the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) to create tidal access to wetlands in various locations within the project.
The middle for Hoquiam River tidal restoration project primarily benefits the fish populations, particularly salmon and steelhead. By restoring access to crucial tidal wetland habitat, increasing their rearing areas and improving their survival rates. Additionally, it contributes to overall ecosystem health by restoring natural tidal flows, and providing wildlife refuge within the restored wetlands.
**Note: This project is technically merged with #20-1130: Middle Fork Hoquiam Tidal Restoration, so there is some overlapping of funding and metrics between #18-2125 and #20-1130.
Bush Creek 3 Barrier Correction
This project removed three 33% passable fish passage barrier culverts on Bush Creek near Elma Bush Creek site#2 and replaced them with structures that are fully passable to all aquatic species and life stages. Together, they opened a total of 8.44 miles of upstream, forested spawning and rearing habitat for 5 species of salmonids.
Funded by: Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP)
Sponsor: Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force
Completed: 2020
Cost- design and construction: $892,349
More information: https://srp.rco.wa.gov/project/120/81394
Frase Creek Barrier Removal
This project replaced an impassable culvert with a fish passable structure. Work was also done to realign the upstream channel to a more natural state. Frase Creek, a tributary to the South Fork Newaukum, east of Onalaska, is now fully accessible to 2.74 miles of rearing and spawning habitat for Coho and steelhead. to realign the upstream channel to a more natural state. Frase Creek, a tributary to the South Fork Newaukum, east of Onalaska, is now fully accessible to 2.74 miles of rearing and spawning habitat for Coho and steelhead.
Funded by: Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP).
Sponsor: Lewis County.
Completed: 2020.
Cost – construction: $850,371
More information: https://srp.rco.wa.gov/project/120/80361
More Project Success Information!
Chart featuring SRFB projects completed since 2020: SRFB Projects completed since 2020
Brochures that highlight Watershed Success Stories: 2010-2021: Chehalis Basin Lead Entity Upper and Lower Basin Successful Projects
You can find any past project at the Recreation Conservation Office’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board website.