2016 State of Our Watersheds Report Skokomish-Dosewallips Basin he Skokomish Tribe is wholly devoted to restoring the TSkokomish watershed and its resources – not just for the next five years, not just for another 40 years, but forever. We must continue healing the environment that we depend upon for survival. The health and well-being of the Skokomish watershed is vital to the Skokomish tribal culture, tradition, subsistence and economy. – JOSEPH PAVEL SKOKOMISH TRIBE Skokomish Tribe The Twana (ancestors of the Skokomish people) were the first human inhabitants of the south Hood Canal region, with villages and fishing camps located near streams where they could take advantage of plen- tiful fish and shellfish resources. At the signing of the Point No Point Treaty of 1855, the Skokomish Tribe ceded their traditional lands to the U.S. government, and Washington’s Gov. Isaac I. Stevens assured the Tribe that they could continue Seattle to gather food at the accustomed locations. However, during this period, Euro-Americans began farming the floodplains, cutting the forests, and shellfish and fish resources began to be harvested by settlers. Today, the region is largely rural and forested, communities still rely on logging, fishing, shellfish and recreation. Unfortunately, there have been major land-use impacts on Treaty-protected resources includ- ing salmon habitat. Dam construction, floodplain and shoreline development, and roads and logging have had their impacts. Skokomish Tribe 221 The Hood Canal Watershed: Home of the Skokomish Tribe Hood Canal is a natural, glacier-carved fjord separating the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas. It stretches 68 miles from the northern tip of the Kitsap peninsula to Lynch Cove, forming an L-shape that remains narrow, ranging from 1.5 to 2 miles across. The canal includes portions of Mason, Jefferson and Kitsap coun- ties. The Skokomish Reservation is located near the Big Bend of southern Hood Canal at the mouth of the Skokomish River. Major rivers entering Hood Canal from the steep eastern slopes of the Olympic Mountains include the Skokomish, Dosewallips and Big Quilcene rivers. Historically, the economy of the Hood Canal region relied largely on shellfish harvesting, commercial fisheries, commercial forestry, tourism and agriculture. Unfortunately, habitat quality, which sustains the economic activities of Hood Canal, has dimin- ished due to multiple causes including: roads and land develop- ment, stream modifications, shoreline development, and water pollution from sediment, nutrients and pathogens. Roughly 48% of the Hood Canal watershed land area is under Flickr user Lana_aka_BADGRL federal jurisdiction in Olympic National Park, Olympic National Hood Canal, looking toward the Olympic Mountains. Forest or designated wilderness areas. This has led to the concen- tration of land use, and development pressure on a remaining 50% The plan’s technical analysis has identified the following habitat of non-federal land, which is in either a forest or rural land-use limiting factors: classification, making it a potential target for future development pressures. • Estuarine habitat loss and degradation; Even without future development, the region has concerns re- • Loss of channel complexity from large woody debris; garding viable fisheries populations, which are the lifeblood of the • Scouring from high water flows; Skokomish Tribal economy. The Puget Sound Salmon Recovery • Floodplain modifications and loss of wetlands; and Plan identified significant habitat limiting factors for the decline of • Sediment aggradation.1 the region’s salmonid populations. Implementing a Conservation & Recovery Plan There is a plan to protect habitat placement of logjams, invasive plant and a restoration strategy pursued species removal and road decommis- for Hood Canal, approved by the Na- sioning. Several projects have been tional Marine Fisheries Service and implemented throughout Hood Canal supported by the watershed-based to initiate habitat restoration in estua- Council of Governments with the rine and nearshore areas surrounding Hood Canal Coordinating Council the rivers and other major streams. as lead entity. The plan focuses on A major project under way is the habitat stewardship and restoration restoration of the Skokomish River projects. Restoration actions were estuary. The Skokomish Tribe insti- organized by limiting factors within gated this project in 2007, working each watershed. The existing regula- with federal, state and county collab- tory protection tools were viewed as orators as well as Tacoma Power to adequate for recovery, “if watershed remove dikes and culverts from the development occurs as expected and Skokomish estuary. This project has Tiffany Royal, NWIFC Royal, Tiffany current regulations are maintained or been an important success in restor- Dirt is moved and land is surveyed for the proper improved and adequately implement- ing habitat in the estuary. In addition, placement of a box culvert in the Skokomish estuary. ed.”2 However, growth has contin- large woody debris was placed in the ued. estuary for habitat enhancement and Still, restoration within the drain- areas have been revegetated with na- ages of Hood Canal has proceeded tive plants. As of the printing of this under the recovery plans for each report, the Skokomish Tribe and its watershed. Work has focused on partners have restored 1,000 acres of restoring stream connectivity, bed habitat for salmon and wildlife. stabilization, riparian replanting, 222 Skokomish Tribe Recovery Efforts Lagging At the 10-year mark of the Puget Sound dation of floodplain and riparian processes, implement actions to restore and protect Salmon Recovery Plan, a review of key degradation of marine shoreline habitat habitat and to monitor and enforce com- environmental indicators for the Skokom- conditions, and an increase in impervious pliance of existing regulations. In addition, ish-Dosewallips Basin area shows that surface. In general, there is a shortage of funding shortfalls for large-scale projects priority concerns continue to be degrada- staff at all levels (e.g., federal, state, tribal, contribute to the slow pace of progress. tion of water quantity and quality, degra- county) needed to address the issues and Review of the trend for these key environmental indicators since the 2012 State of Our Watersheds Report shows an improvement in restoration efforts but a steady loss in habitat status: Trend Since Tribal Indicator Status SOW 2012 Report From 2006-2011, there was a < 1% increase in impervious surface. 39% of the impervious surface occurs within 1 mile of Hood Impervious Surface Canal. Declining From 2005 to 2014, Mason County had 202 hydraulic project approvals issued, resulting in an additional 1.6 miles of armored Shoreline Modifications / Forage Fish shoreline. This was the greatest amount in any Puget Sound County, while 714 feet of armoring were removed, resulting in a net Declining increase of about 1.5 miles of armored shoreline. From 2010-2014, water wells were increased by 4%. Of these 256 new wells, 112 (44%) were within 1 mile of Hood Canal Water Wells shoreline. Declining From 2006 to 2011 the Hood Canal Watershed experienced a 3.4% decrease in forest cover. In addition, from 2008 to present 37 Timber Harvest square miles have been or have the potential of being harvested within the Skokomish Tribe’s Area of Focus. Declining Twenty-six (17 active & 9 completed) riparian planting projects have be implemented on agricultural buffers in the Hood Canal watershed. In Skokomish watershed, 300 riparian acres have been planted in the last 5 yrs by the Mason Conservation District. Restoration Improving The tribe has built the Potlatch Waste Water Treatment Plant which is owned and operates. The plant will help alleviate the many problems of on-site septic systems in the Hood Canal Watershed. The Tribe continues to work toward the protection and restoration of healthy and functional nearshore, estuarine and river habitat, restoring those areas that are degraded, and conducting research to understand the organisms and the habitats they occupy. Looking Ahead Examples of issues and opportunities that may affect the future of watershed health in Hood Canal include management of the following: • Water quantity and quality monitoring; • Water conservation; • Water supply and use; • Septic system; • Animal manure and pet waste; • Stormwater; • Habitat; • Funding; • Education, communication, and outreach; and • Enforcement.3 The four pressures that carried a “very high” rating as priorities in the Hood Canal Integrated Watershed Plan are the following: • Commercial and residential development; • Transportation and service corridors; • Climate change and ocean acidification; and • Wastewater discharges and stormwater runoff.4 Skokomish Tribe 223 Skokomish Indian Tribe Hood Canal Watershed Land Hood Canal is a natural, glacier-carved Jurisdiction fjord separating the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas. It stretches 68 miles from the northern tip of the Kitsap peninsula to Quilcene Quilcene R Lynch Cove, forming an L-shape that re- ig iv B e r mains narrow, ranging from 1.5 to 2 miles D o WRIA 17 across. The Canal includes portions of s e w al Mason, Jefferson and Kitsap counties as lips Ri well as the Skokomish and Port Gamble ve r S’Klallam Tribal reservations. Major rivers ush Rive kab r entering Hood Canal from the steep eastern Duc slopes of the Olympic Mountains on the al n west side include the Skokomish, Dosewal- a C ¹ lips and Big Quilcene. Precipitation is vari- amm a H a R amm iv able – Quilcene receives only 16 inches H er d 0 5 Miles o per year, while 90 inches fall annually at o Skokomish.1 H WRIA 16 WRIA 15 The average depth of Hood Canal is 177 S Belfair o r u e feet, with a maximum depth of 600 feet, t iv h R F o ya and the circulation is poor, especially in the r u k h Sk a southern portion. Water from the Strait of ok T om is ¤£101 Juan de Fuca mixes poorly due to an under- h R iv water sill south of the Hood Canal Bridge, e Land Jurisdiction r ¤£106 and fresh water entering the canal often Tribal Reservation forms a layer at the surface.