Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page I
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WASHINGTON COAST SUSTAINABLE SALMON PLAN May 7, 2013 The Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership P.O. Box 2392, Ocean Shores, WA 98569 360-289-2499 www.wcssp.org This document was made possible with funding from Washington’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board. This document is also available online at www.wcssp.org There are points and references in this Plan – data, statistics, ESA requirements and recovery strategies – that some tribes in the Coast Region do not agree with. This Plan does not, nor is it intended to, interfere with or diminish tribal policy. WCSSP respects tribal sovereignty and strives to work cooperatively and respectfully with Coastal Tribes toward common objectives. May 7, 2013 Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page i CONTENTS List of Figures and Tables ...................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 1 Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................. 2 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 5 Salmon Sustainability........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Goals ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Actions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Implementation ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Planning for Uncertainty ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Adaptation ............................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 9 Definition of a Sustainability Plan .............................................................................................................................. 10 Regional Setting, Lead Entities, and Indian Tribes ............................................................................................. 12 WRIA 20, Sol Duc - Hoh ............................................................................................................................................. 16 WRIA 21, Queets - Quinault ..................................................................................................................................... 17 WRIA 22/23, Lower Chehalis/Upper Chehalis ................................................................................................ 18 WRIA 24, Willapa ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 Salmon Species and Status .................................................................................. 22 Washington Coast Salmon ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) ...................................................................................................................... 24 Chum (Oncorhynchus keta) ........................................................................................................................................... 26 Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) ....................................................................................................................................... 28 Sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) ................................................................................................................................... 30 Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) .............................................................................................................................. 34 May 7, 2013 Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page i Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki).................................................................................................... 37 Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) ............................................................................................................................ 37 Salmon Populations Status ........................................................................................................................................... 38 WDFW Salmonid Stock Inventory 1992, 2002 ..................................................................................................... 40 North American Salmon Stronghold Expert Ratings 2011 .............................................................................. 42 A Twenty-Year Perspective .......................................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 3 Critical Threats to Salmon Sustainability in the Washington Coast Region ............ 48 Climate Change .................................................................................................................................................................. 49 Invasive Species ................................................................................................................................................................ 52 Hatchery and Harvest Interactions ........................................................................................................................... 53 Logging Practices That Impact Salmon.................................................................................................................... 55 Oil Spills ................................................................................................................................................................................ 59 Residential and Commercial Development That Impacts Salmon ............................................................... 59 Dredging and Filling ........................................................................................................................................................ 60 Removal and/or Lack of Large Woody Material .................................................................................................. 61 Shoreline Modification Including Dikes, Levees, Armoring, Bulkheads .................................................... 62 Agricultural Practices That Impact Salmon ........................................................................................................... 63 Roads, Culverts, Bridges, and Other Transportation Infrastructure ........................................................... 64 Water Pollution from Developed Land, Stormwater and Wastewater Pollution ................................... 65 Chapter 4 Desired Outcomes: Vision, Goals, and Objectives ............................................... 73 Vision ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Goals ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Species Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................ 74 Habitat Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................ 74 Headwaters/Uplands ................................................................................................................................................. 75 Wetlands, Small Lakes, and Ponds ........................................................................................................................ 76 Tributaries ...................................................................................................................................................................... 77 Lakes ................................................................................................................................................................................. 79 Mainstems ....................................................................................................................................................................... 80 Estuaries .......................................................................................................................................................................... 81 Nearshore .......................................................................................................................................................................