NWIFC News by Billy Frank Jr

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Winter 2011/12 NWIFCnwifc.org News

Inside: ■ Tribes Urge Updated Water Standards ■ Elwha Dam Removal Progresses ■ Protecting Intertidal Species ■ Shellfish Beds Cleaned Up ■ Surveying Threatened Steelhead ■ Tracking Salmon Migration Being Frank

Stand Up for Your Food NWIFC News By Billy Frank Jr. Northwest Indian NWIFC Chairman Fisheries Commission 6730 Martin Way E. How much fish and shellfish do Olympia, WA 98516 you eat? (360) 438-1180 For more than 20 years, the state of Washington has based its water NWIFC News is published quarterly. Free sub- quality standards on the idea that scriptions are available. This edition is also on- we eat one small bite a day, or 6.5 line at nwifc.org. Articles in NWIFC News may grams. About the size of a sugar be reprinted. cube. That number is very important to everyone who lives here be- NWIFC Chairman cause it is used to set state stan- Billy Frank Jr. dards for how much pollution can Executive Director be put into our waters legally. The will lead to everything from lost Mike Grayum number the state’s using right now jobs to higher sewer rates at a time isn’t even close to what most of us when our economy is struggling. Information and Education Services eat. The truth is that we’ve all been Division Manager We’ve been working hard for paying the costs of a low con- Tony Meyer the past two decades to encourage sumption rate for many years in Regional Information Officers the state to adopt a more realistic terms of the quality of our water, Debbie Preston, Coast rate that will better protect those food and health. Emmett O’Connell, South Sound waters, the food that comes out Regardless of what number is Tiffany Royal, Hood Canal/ of them, and the health of every- chosen to update the consump- Strait of Juan de Fuca one who lives here. Now it finally tion standard, it’s unlikely to even Kari Neumeyer, North Sound looks like the state department of come close to the amount of fish Ecology is taking steps to revise and shellfish tribes eat every day. the old standards, and that’s en- But revising our state’s fish con- NWIFC Member Tribes: Hoh, Jamestown couraging. sumption standard is not just a S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Lummi Nation, Makah, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Nooksack, Port It’s a sad fact that much of our tribal issue. It’s a public health Gamble S’Klallam, Puyallup, Quileute, Quinault local seafood is contaminated by issue that affects everyone who Indian Nation, Sauk-Suiattle, Skokomish, Squaxin pollution that seems to be every- lives here. That’s why we support Island, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Swinomish, where in our environment. The a significant increase. Tulalip and Upper Skagit new consumption standard will be We are standing on the edge of aimed at helping reduce levels of a great opportunity and we need Tribal contact information is available under more than 100 pollutants that can to take bold action. Ecology will Member Tribes at nwifc.org. hurt people. Over the long term, be holding public hearings on the Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/nwifc and these poisons can make us sick new standards and you will have on Twitter: @nwifc and even kill us. a chance to participate. Stand up Sure, some people don’t eat lo- for the water! Stand up for your cally harvested seafood at all, but food and your health! Let Ecology those of us who do sure as heck know that you eat fish and shell- eat a lot more than a small bite a fish from Washington waters. day. Even though tribal members Tell them you want to see the new eat a lot more fish and shellfish consumption standard adopted than most folks, many thousands quickly, without major loopholes of non-Indians – especially our for polluters. Asian-American and Pacific Is- For us tribes, western Washing- lander communities – also make ton is our home, and its waters are seafood a large part of their diets. the source of much of our food. On the cover: Upper Skagit tribal member It’s a shame that it’s taken so Our cultures and treaty rights are Larry Peterson harvests coho salmon in the long to revise our state’s ridicu- tied to this place, and we are com- Skagit River. Photo: K. Neumeyer lously low consumption standard, mitted to keeping it a healthy place but the polluters have a strong to live. Fish and shellfish is food. lobby. They’ll tell us we can’t af- There’s no reason it shouldn’t be ford to protect our water, our food available, plentiful and healthy and our health, and that new rules enough for all of us to eat. Lummi Nation Diet Survey to Protect Tribal Health The Lummi Nation Natural Resources Department is finding out just how much seafood the average tribal member eats. Seafood consumption rates are used to determine water quality safety standards, but federal and state agencies rely on national studies. Members

of fishing tribes in western K. Neumeyer Washington eat a lot more fish A Lummi family harvests manila clams in Portage Bay last spring. Shellfish, which make up an important part than the average person. of tribal diets, are vulnerable to contamination by water pollution. Although Washington state is considering updating its con- veys do not apply to either the its own standards. Last year, ic substance criteria protect the sumption rate, the current state Lummi people or other Indian natural resources staff mem- health of tribal members. water quality standard is based tribes in the Puget Sound area,” bers began surveying male The study was funded by the on a rate of 6.5 grams of fish said Merle Jefferson, director tribal members with fishing Agency for Toxic Substances a day. Other studies of North- of Lummi Natural Resources. and shellfishing licenses, in- and Disease Registration, a west Indian tribes and Asian “We need to know how much cluding fishermen who harvest division of the Centers for Dis- and Pacific Islanders reported seafood our people eat, so we for ceremonial and subsistence ease Control and Prevention consumption rates ranging can set regulations that reduce purposes. with additional support provid- from 100 to nearly 500 grams the pollution in the waters In addition to guiding Lum- ed by the federal Environmen- of fish per day. where we harvest our food.” mi’s water quality standards, tal Protection Agency. “Estimates for seafood con- The Lummi Nation plans to the results of the diet study will – K. Neumeyer sumption from national sur- use Lummi-specific data to set help ensure that the state’s tox-

Surplus Sockeye Gets Families through Winter The Lummi Nation distributed sockeye salmon to tribal members in September for families to can and store for the winter. “The tribe puts fish away as much as possible when we have an abundance, for ceremonies and all the functions that the tribe sponsors,” said Randy Kinley Sr., policy representative for the tribe. “It’s very important to take care of our people’s needs culturally.” The fish was caught during the record 2010 Fraser River sockeye run and had been in cold storage. More than 34 million sockeye returned that summer, the largest run in nearly 100 years, but poor returns are expected for the next few years. “The sockeye season was short this year and we wanted to make sure people have the opportunity K. Neumeyer to put salmon away for the winter,” Kinley said. Volunteers from Lummi Fisheries, Lummi Indian Business Council and Lummi Fish Commission pass out sockeye salmon to tribal members. Watch a video about the giveaway at go.nwifc. org/12u.

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Water Flows, Sediment Moves, Salmon Return as Elwha Dams Come Down Kim Sager-Fradkin, Lower Elwha Klallam The delta of Lake Aldwell is looking more like a river. The partial removal of the Elwha River dam below the lake has drained it significantly, allowing the increased water flow to develop river channels. Lake Aldwell Reservoir Recovers from Constraints of Dam The Lake Aldwell reservoir is starting said Mike McHenry, the tribe’s habitat pro- noticed a small increase of fine sediment to look like a river again. It’s just one of gram manager. “It’s starting to look like a building in the estuaries. the changes to the Elwha River system that river channel. The delta at the south end “The fine sediment plume from the the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has been of the reservoir is more exposed and sedi- mouth of the river into the strait is much watching with great anticipation since ment is being transported downriver.” more pronounced than it was prior to re- removal of the river’s two fish-blocking In addition, construction crews have moval activities and its configuration var- dams began in September. removed remnants of nearly 100-year-old ies during the course of the day,” said Matt By Nov. 1, the 108-foot-tall Elwha Dam pilings from Lake Aldwell. Also removed Beirne, the tribe’s environmental coordi- had been lowered by 48 feet and the 210- was a log boom that prevented boats from nator. “We haven’t seen significant sedi- foot-tall Glines Canyon dam by 32 feet. going over the dam. The wood was allowed ment deposition in the estuary just yet, but Water from the reservoirs has been spill- to flow downriver with the expectation we have seen elevated turbidity levels from ing over the deconstructed dams, chang- that it will contribute to salmon habitat in the finer sediments.” ing the hydrology of the reservoirs as well the lower river. He added, “Although the removal of as the lower river. Only the last 5 miles of “Following the big rains we had in the dams appears to be ahead of schedule, the river were free flowing before dam re- late November, the river was flowing at we don’t expect to see significant sedi- moval began. 10,000 cubic feet per second at one point,” ment deposition within the estuary until “Since the Elwha Dam is about 40 per- McHenry said. “A lot of dynamic stuff is we experience greater mobilizing flows cent gone, the reservoir behind it, Lake happening with the high flows.” throughout the system.” – T. Royal Aldwell, isn’t really a reservoir anymore,” Near the mouth of the river, the tribe has

About the Elwha River Dam Removal ● The dams are owned by the federal ● For nearly 100 years, fish were blocked from government. Olympic National Park is the upper Elwha River watershed by two dams spearheading the removal effort. that were built without fish ladders. ● The project to remove the structures and ● More than 20 million cubic yards of sediment restore the Elwha River ecosystem, estimated have built up behind the dams. Following the at $350 million, is the largest dam removal removal of the dams, most of it will be allowed project to date in the United States. to flow downriver and alter the riverbed. ● The project is expected to be finished by 2013.

Water Flows, Sediment Moves, Salmon Return as Elwha Dams Come Down Coho to Repopulate Habitat There is a sense of urgency said. “We plan to track their as black mesh bags filled with movements using radio tags adult coho salmon are relayed but also expect them to start down a steep hill toward the seeding the area.” Elwha River. Standing on the The tribe released nearly 600 bank, Lower Elwha Klallam fish into the river this fall. All Tribe hatchery manager Larry the fish will be tagged with Ward retrieves a bag, unzips spaghetti tags, so they can be it and gently prods out sev- identified if harvested. Nearly eral salmon. Within seconds, one-third of the fish also will the fish make a splash before be outfitted with blue plastic quickly swimming away, seek- radio tags. The radio tags will ing good spawning grounds. help the tribe track the fish The tribe, with volunteers that seek spawning grounds in from state and federal agencies, nearby tributaries. transferred 50 coho salmon re- The offspring of these salm- cently from its new hatchery, on are expected to head to the House of Salmon, to a stretch ocean in spring 2013. When of river between the Elwha and dam deconstruction wraps up the Glines Canyon dams, be- in 2014, they will be returning low the Highway 101 bridge. to the river as adults. They will The dams, built without fish be the first salmon to come back ladders in the early 20th cen- after the dams are removed. tury, had blocked salmon from During dam removal, work getting past the lower 5 miles in the river will be put on hold of the river. during fish windows, when fish “We are putting these fish in return to the river to spawn. an area that hasn’t had salmon – T. Royal for nearly 100 years,” Ward

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe project biologist Ray Moses releases a coho into the Elwha River.

First Spawners Arrive at Hatchery As of mid-December, 1,077 adult coho salmon found their way to the new Lower Elwha Klallam hatchery, said Larry Ward, the tribe’s hatchery manager. The state-of-the-art hatchery is closer to the Elwha River than the old hatchery, has access to three times more water, and allows for healthier rearing conditions. The fish coming back to the new hatchery are a mix of hatchery and natural salmon. All the fish that return to the new hatchery will be moved to the river to spawn in the wild or will be spawned at the hatchery. RoyalT. (2) The tribe encouraged the returning fish to find A coho is ready to be released with a spaghetti tag and a radio tag. the new hatchery by pushing out water from there If harvested, the spaghetti tag will let biologists know where it came from. The radio tag will allow the tribe to track the fish’s migration instead of from the old facility, Ward said. Fish throughout the Elwha River. that returned to the old hatchery were allowed to naturally spawn in the river since the tribe was able to meet its escapement goals at the new hatchery

Tribe Shares Concern About Dungeness Flooding Federal and private dikes built along the lower Dunge- ness River in 1964 and 1983 have caused ever-increasing harm to salmon. The dikes on each side of the river have protected the homes and property behind them for decades. But now the dikes are leading to flooding problems. Concerned residents ap- proached the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe for help to prevent future flooding from destroying their homes. “We tried contacting local, county, state and federal of- ficials to help us with this, but no one was responding, so we went to the tribe,” said resident

Mel Groff. “What’s going to Mel Groff happen when the river floods Ward Road resident Mel Groff’s property was flooded after a December 2010 rainstorm brought the again and does even more dam- Dungeness River up and over its banks. age? We’re going to get flooded out of our homes.” of the river channel, causing The tribe has a vested inter- ‘Poor dike planning has harmed fish and increased flooding of the Ward est in the Dungeness River, wildlife habitat and put natural resources Road properties. because the federal govern- at risk for years. Now property owners are Unfortunately, because the ment has a trust responsibility dikes were built by a federal to protect natural resources, being affected.’ agency and a private owner, such as fish habitat, said Scott the tribe can’t do anything to Chitwood, the tribe’s natural Scott Chitwood, prevent the flooding. However, resources director. natural resources director, the Corps is considering a pro- “Poor dike planning has Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe posal, endorsed by the tribe, harmed fish and wildlife habi- Clallam County and the Wash- tat and put natural resources at ington Department of Fish and risk for years,” Chitwood said. road, which always had been to accumulate is in shallow Wildlife, to move a segment of “Now property owners are be- minor, became progressively Dungeness Bay – which its dike away from the river and ing affected.” worse. is filling in – and the river reconnect the stream with part In 1964, the U.S. Army In December 2010, Ward channel – which is building up. of its former floodplain. Corps of Engineers built 2.3 Road and adjacent properties With the sediment buildup and – T. Royal miles of dike on the east bank suffered from severe flooding, downstream dikes constricting of the lower river to block although river flows were no- the river, flood waters spill out floodwaters from flowing where near record high levels. Residents Mel Groff, left, and Rod Normandin stand beside the Dunge- across farmland and through The Ward Road property ness River, which they’ve watched change during the past year. the Dungeness community be- owners believe that the flood- T. Royal fore entering Dungeness Bay. ing was caused by exces- Without the historic outlet sive trees, rocks and debris to the east, floodwaters could that flowed downstream. The only spread west. In response, neighbors have watched the a private property owner on riverbank continue to erode the west side of the river con- and move closer to the road. structed a 4,000-foot dike on The dikes have prevented the west bank in 1983. the river from depositing Meanwhile, residential de- its sediment into the once- velopment was occurring on expansive Dungeness River Ward Road, just upstream of floodplain. Now the only the dikes. Flooding along the places left for river sediment

Workshop to Improve Marine Monitoring With the goal of making a myriad of marine information available to tribal, public, governmental and commercial interests, an Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) workshop is being held Feb. 2 on the Microsoft campus in Redmond. IOOS is a tool for tracking, predicting, managing and adapting to changes in the ocean, coastal and Great Lakes environments. “Pacific Northwest Waters: Gateway to Our Future,” is being organized and sponsored by the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) and the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee. NANOOS is a regional T. RoyalT. agency involved in many NOAA research biologist David Baldwin simulates stormwater runoff with a mixture of lead, important monitoring efforts copper, nickel and other chemicals. in Puget Sound and the Washington coast. Joe Schumacker, marine resources scientist for the Urban Stream Pollution Quinault Indian Nation, is helping organize the Target of Mortality Study workshop. Biologist David Baldwin pours a mix- “In urban streams, we are finding 60 to “It’s important that tribes ture of copper, zinc, lead and other pol- 90 percent of coho salmon dying before give feedback about how lutants into a large tank of water at the they spawn,” Baldwin said. “We want to this monitoring information Suquamish Tribe’s Grovers Creek Hatch- figure out first what contaminants, if any at is best distributed to be ery, then slips four adult coho salmon into all, are causing the mortalities, then figure useful,” Schumacker said. the dirty brown liquid. The poisonous soup out how much of it actually kills them.” The coastal treaty tribes simulates the stormwater runoff salmon At the hatchery, coho are exposed to the have supported a number of frequently encounter, especially in urban chemicals for 24 hours and then monitored NANOOS projects including streams. for changes in their behavior. Liver, gill sea gliders and buoys that The tribe is working with Baldwin, a and bile samples are then taken for analy- gather ocean condition data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- sis. The contaminated water is filtered then in traditional tribal fishing ministration research zoologist, and Steve disposed of at Kitsap County’s wastewater areas. NANOOS projects Damm, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biological treatment plant in Kingston. include monitoring oxygen scientist, to figure out if toxins in storm- For comparison, another group of coho levels in Hood Canal as well water runoff are killing adult coho salmon. is placed in a tank of clean water for 24 as biotoxins that can sicken Vehicle exhaust, dust from brake pads, oil hours. Like those in the polluted tank, the or kill humans throughout and gasoline are among the main contribu- coho are watched closely and the same tis- Puget Sound. tors to polluted stormwater. sue samples taken. The workshop is free. For Scientists have observed adult coho dy- Biologists chose Kitsap County as the site more information on the ing within 24 hours of returning to urban for the project because it is an area where workshop and to register, streams. In most cases, death occurs before increasing population and development are visit iooc.us/pnw. the fish can spawn. Pre-spawn mortality is rapidly turning healthy rural streams into – D. Preston commonly seen in streams near large ur- polluted urban creeks. – T. Royal ban areas such as Seattle.

Road Project Reduces Floods, Creates Channel The Lummi Nation Natural Resources Restoration Division raised a segment of Marine Drive recently and installed a tide gate to reduce flooding and restore passage for salmon. The improvements were part of a larger project to connect the Nooksack River delta with Lummi Bay and increase estuary habitat. Marine Drive between Kwina Slough and Lummi Shore Road was raised to 16 feet so it now serves as a levee in the Nooksack system. Part of a dike that was breached during a 2009 flood was removed and a channel was created to connect Kwina Slough with Smugglers Slough. The old culvert under Marine Drive was damaged, so the tribe replaced it with a reinforced concrete box culvert 12 feet wide, 6 feet high and 65 feet long. The larger culvert allows more water to flow into Smugglers Slough during normal flows, while a self- regulating tide gate will prevent the water level from rising too high. The tide gate is adjustable to maximize flow while minimizing the impact to nearby farms. Before the area was settled by Europeans in the mid- 1800s, the Nooksack River drained into Lummi Bay. Beginning in the late 1800s, levees were constructed K. Neumeyer to force the river’s flow into Bellingham Bay. Standing on the newly installed tide gate beside the elevated portion of Marine “Smugglers Slough once connected the Nooksack Drive, Lummi watershed restoration project scientist Eric Stover, right, discusses the project with engineers. and Lummi deltas,” said Merle Jefferson, natural resources director for the tribe. “This project restores that connection, providing access to important rearing habitat for out-migrating juvenile salmon.” – K. Neumeyer

Squaxin Island, Land Trust to Protect Forestland The Squaxin Island Tribe and the Capi- high priority for both the tribe and the land ment of Budd Inlet, where the tribe has tol Land Trust are hoping to purchase an trust because the area is relatively undevel- been monitoring juvenile salmon popula- important piece of forestland between oped. tions. Henderson and Budd inlets as part of a “Since this area is so close to an expand- “Protecting and restoring habitat is the joint effort to restore and protect habitat ing urban center, it’s important to protect single most important thing we can do to between the two South Sound inlets. as much as possible before it is destroyed restore salmon and to bring Puget Sound “In total, we would protect almost 60 by development,” Konovsky said. back to health,” said Andy Whitener, natu- acres,” said John Konovsky, environmental In addition to land purchases, the part- ral resources director for the tribe. “Re- program manager for the Squaxin Island nership also could lead to habitat restora- storing salmon and repairing Puget Sound Tribe. “Most importantly, the property tion projects, such as culvert removals. is a massive undertaking. It’s great that we contains more than 10 acres of a vital 70- “The tribe has expertise with research have been able to find partners in the com- acre wetland.” and directly managing natural resources, munity to help us out.” The purchase will be funded largely by a while the land trust has worked with hun- He added, “Protecting our treaty- grant from the U.S. Environmental Protec- dreds of landowners to protect important reserved right to harvest depends on a tion Agency. The balance of the funding areas,” Konovsky said. “We have had a healthy ecosystem, we appreciate the would come the LOTT Clean Water Alli- long-time working relationship.” support we get from our neighbors.” ance, the local wastewater utility. The Squaxin Island Tribe has been – E. O’Connell Protecting the forestland and shoreline studying deep South Sound for decades between Budd and Henderson inlets is a and recently completed a habitat assess-

Skokomish Tribe Monitors Fish in

RestoredFollowing the Skokomish RiverEstuary estuary restoration effort in 2010, the Skokomish Tribe has been monitoring the project site closely in hopes of seeing salmon using the new habitat for feeding and refuge. Since August, natural resources staff members have been seining dozens of locations within the restored 349- acre area, as well as 330 acres of tidelands nearby that escaped development. The project area includes 219 acres of tidelands (for- merly Nalley Island) that were restored in 2010, and 130 acres restored in 2007, mainly through culvert and dike removal. The tribe is looking for juvenile chinook, chum and coho salmon. The beach seining efforts also have found Pacific herring, surf smelt, sculpins, pipefish, flounders, gunnels, anchovies and shrimp. “The undeveloped tidelands are about the closest thing to a natural salt marsh in the Skokomish estuary,” said Matt Kowalski, the tribe’s steelhead biologist. “This area creates a great opportunity to compare what is living here D. Preston versus what is coming back to the newly restored areas.” In the late 1930s, a large portion of the Skokomish es- Scott Mazzone, a biologist for the Quinault Indian Nation, and Melissa tuary was converted from pristine habitat to the Nalley Minder, research associate and Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network Farm. Dikes and ditches were used to drain the former (MARINe) database manager, inventory tidal species. tidelands, which had been rich with marine life. The tribe hopes to start a third phase of restoration in 2012, which will include removing remaining smaller culverts and dikes by hand. SurveyingThe Quinault Indian Nation Tidal resources.” Species “The project’s goal to restore riverine and tidal hydrol- (QIN) has learned that to pro- A 2-acre intertidal site south ogy within the treatment areas is expected to allow natu- tect the marine resources they of the Raft River will allow ral physical and biological processes to restore the salt depend on, they must conduct a QIN personnel to inventory marsh’s wetlands,” said Alex Gouley, the tribe’s habitat meticulous inventory. a variety of species including manager. – T. Royal QIN and other tribal com- sea stars, blue mussels and munities are using a common other sea life. By visiting the data-gathering method estab- site once a year, Mazzone and lished by the Multi-Agency QIN fisheries technicians can Skokomish natural resources staff beach seine to sample fish Rocky Intertidal Network track the numbers of intertidal in the restored Skokomish River estuary. T. Royal (MARINe). MARINe is a species and determine changes partnership of agencies, uni- based on weather and ocean versities and private groups conditions. committed to determining the “We’re also interested in cli- health of the rocky intertidal mate change and its effects, but habitat and sharing informa- that’s a long-term study – de- tion with the public. cades really,” Mazzone said. “Quinault has been plan- “As the water gets warmer, we ning this kind of cataloging would expect to see mussels for years,” said Scott Mazzone, move higher up in the inter- shellfish and marine biologist tidal areas and see other south- for the tribe. “We have been ern species appearing. As the collecting some of this data for ocean becomes more acidic, we 25 years, but now we are doing would also expect to see fewer it the same way as everyone new barnacle sets because they else, and that makes it easier have trouble forming shells.” to share important information – D. Preston about the health of our marine Nisqually Indian Tribe

AssessingThe Nisqually Indian Shellfish Tribe said. “If it does, for we want toPotential Harvest is counting clams in hopes that see what the resource out there shellfish harvesting may return looks like.” one day to tidelands between The tribe is conducting sur- the mouth of the Nisqually veys using underwater video River and Tacoma. and on-the-beach assessments The tribe’s shellfish assess- at low tide. ment is part of a larger project “We’re finding a range of led by the state Department of fairly bad shellfish habitat to Health (DOH) to see if water very good habitat, especially pollution can be cleaned up for subtidal geoduck clams,” along the important stretch of Troutt said. shoreline. Where the tribe found poor “Sewer outfalls have meant shellfish habitat, the likely rea- a large piece of deep South son is miles of bulkheads built Sound has been closed to shell- decades ago to protect a rail- fish harvest for decades,” said road. The bulkhead prevents David Troutt, the tribe’s natu- the natural erosion of nearby ral resources manager. “It also bluffs that contribute to good means that no one has really shellfish beaches. looked at the status of the shell- In addition to the tribe and fish resource in this area.” DOH, other partners in the Some outfalls recently have larger project include Joint been rerouted or are being up- Base Lewis-McChord and graded to lessen pollution into Pierce County. Other tasks in- Puget Sound. clude a historic land use survey

“With a decrease in pollu- and studies on water circula- E. O’Connell tion, we could see shellfish tion and dilution of pollutants. Michael Kyte, shellfish biologist for the Nisqually Tribe, harvest open back up,” Troutt – E. O’Connell looks for clams at Solo Point near the mouth of the Nisqually River.

HendersonThe Nisqually Indian Tribe is rehabilitatingInlet a 120-acreCleanup shellfish The tribeEffort has been working Payingclosely with neighbors. Off “Many of farm on Henderson Inlet, a large part of which has been closed for the neighbors involved in the cleanup also operate a small com- years due to pollution. The area is now clean enough to harvest munity shellfish farm,” Slape said. “The tribe’s tideland is right in shellfish and the tribe is hoping they can start as soon as next front of their farm, so we’re loaning them an acre of tideland that spring. will allow them to increase their production five-fold.” “We’ve spent most of the past year just getting the farm ready,” – E. O’Connell said Sue Shotwell, the tribe’s shellfish farm manager. Eventually, tribal employees will harvest and process clams and oysters on the farm. The farm sits midway up Henderson Inlet in an area that was recently approved for harvest because of work by local residents to improve water quality. The county drove changes in septic systems, stormwater management and other actions that cleaned up the inlet. “That we’re able to come in here and grow clams and oysters is a testament to the vision of the local community,” said James Slape, a tribal council member. “This is what a restored Puget Sound will look like.” The farm’s previous owner was forced to stop farming shellfish in much of the inlet because of pollution. “This place hasn’t been cared for in recent years, so a lot of our work now is just getting it ready,” Shotwell said. The tribe is working with another shellfish grower to harvest a crop of 5-year-old oysters left by the farm’s previous owner. E. O’Connell About 3,000 bags of oyster cultch (oyster shells on which oys- Sue Shotwell, shellfish farm manager for the Nisqually Tribe, checks ter larvae grow) are now overwintering at the farm. They will be juvenile clams before they’re spread onto the tribe’s tideland. spread across the tidelands in the spring. 10 Steelhead Surveys Hoh River Fish Data Valuable for Tribes, State Hoh fisheries technician Monty Arthur has walked the Hoh River and its tributaries while counting salmon redds (egg nests) for more than 25 years. He’s one of many tribal staffers throughout western Washington who know their rivers and the fish that return there better than anyone else. Arthur provides an invalu- able count of returning salmon that is used in fish forecast mod- els for the entire region. With a severely shrunken state budget, fewer of his state counterparts are doing similar work, making the tribes’ data that much more important. “We all do our surveys the D. Preston same way, but we definitely Monty Arthur, fisheries technician for the Hoh Tribe, scans the Hoh River for steelhead and chinook egg have more people doing it,” nests as part of a weekly survey. said Joe Gilbertson, fisheries biologist for the Hoh Tribe. “It’s a good method. We Oregon and California. spawners. Tribal and state surveys are cover a lot of ground and that One of the key stocks for the “Our goal is 2,400, so that’s combined for the final numbers means there isn’t as much esti- Hoh Tribe is steelhead. The a 30 percent increase over the for each species before use in mation,” Gilbertson said. The 2010-2011 wild winter steel- past several years of counts the fisheries management plan- method had been held up as a head surveys observed strong either at or below the goal,” ning process. model for other states such as returns of more than 3,200 Gilbertson said. – D. Preston

Nisqually Tribe TracksThe Nisqually Steelhead Indian Tribe is ex- Population Nisqually steelhead are part of a panding a search to determine the larger Puget Sound steelhead popu- range of troubled steelhead in the lation that is listed as “threatened” Nisqually River watershed. under the federal Endangered Spe- “For years we’ve been surveying cies Act. the mainstem by boat and helicop- Participants in the tribe’s “Salmon ter, now we’re also trying to get the Watchers” program also keep an eye true geographic scope of these fish on small creeks, looking for steel- in the Nisqually watershed,” said head. David Troutt, the tribe’s natural re- “If they think they see a steelhead, sources manager. “We’ve doubled we’ll send out a survey crew to walk the amount of walking surveys we’re the creek and look for spawners,” doing, so we’re getting a better sense Troutt said. of how steelhead use the watershed.” It’s not clear why Nisqually steel- In the early 90s, the population of head are at such low levels. Nisqually steelhead decreased from “We know fishing pressure isn’t 6,000 to fewer than 1,000. the problem,” Troutt said. “The “Since they fell off a cliff, their Nisqually Tribe hasn’t fished for population seems to have stabilized,” steelhead for almost 20 years and Troutt said. “The overall popula- sport fishermen stopped fishing for tion data we’re seeing indicates that them seven years ago.” they’re finding somewhere to spawn Additionally, the fish have relative- successfully.” ly good freshwater habitat available The expanded surveys will in- to them. The reason for the decline E. O’Connell clude smaller creeks and streams of- likely lies in the marine habitat. Craig Smith, harvest biologist for the Nisqually Tribe, ten overlooked in traditional spawn- – E. O’Connell surveys Yelm Creek for spawning steelhead. ing surveys. 11 Restoring Shelton Harbor The Squaxin Island Tribe is track- but now we’re taking a closer look at ing young salmon throughout Shel- Shelton Harbor,” said Scott Steltzner, ton Harbor to learn where they’re salmon biologist for the Squaxin Is- hanging out before heading to sea. land Tribe. The tracking project is part of a Tiny transmitters implanted into cooperative effort between the tribe juvenile coho allow researchers to and local timber company Simpson track the young fish as they make to restore fish and wildlife habitat in their way out to salt water. The coho the Shelton Harbor portion of Oak- salmon will be taken from a smolt land Bay in the southwestern end trap operated by the tribe on Golds- of Puget Sound. Last year, the tribe borough Creek, which flows into started working with harbor land- Shelton Harbor. owners to make a list of projects to An array of acoustic receivers D. Preston improve conditions there. along the creek and in Shelton Harbor Duane Parton, Makah seasonal fish sampler, “We’ve used this technology to will track the fish as they begin their removes coded-wire tags from salmon caught by tribal fishermen. track coho across deep South Sound, ocean migration. A tagged coho’s individual frequency is picked up when it passes by a receiver and its movements are tracked for several hundred yards. Makah Tribe Habitat improvements as part of the partnership between the tribe Manages Fish and Simpson will further boost coho production in Goldsborough Creek, Tagging Data the main tributary to Shelton Har- The Makah Tribe needs the best bor. Coho populations already have information it can get, as quickly as significantly increased in Goldsbor- possible, about the fish tribal members ough after the tribe, Simpson and catch, because their treaty-reserved fishing other partners removed a dam on the area is at the intersection of many different creek 10 years ago. Shelton Harbor salmon runs. is important to salmon because the Some of the most important information Goldsborough Creek estuary is the comes from tiny coded-wire tags (CWT) largest in Oakland Bay. inserted into the noses of young hatchery “Estuaries are where salmon grow fish before release, then recovered when and feed as they transition from fresh the fish return as adults. water to ocean-going fish,” Steltzner Because of the large number of tags re- said. “Its important for them to have covered, it was taking more than a year for resources there to survive.” the Washington Department of Fish and “This research will give us a better Wildlife to analyze and report tag findings idea of what parts of Shelton Harbor to the treaty tribal co-managers. are important to coho and where we “Because we need to know, for exam- could start our restoration efforts,” ple, how many Columbia River fish we are said Andy Whitener, natural re- catching in-season, we needed to be able to sources director for the tribe. “This do our own CWT analysis here. It allows sort of large-scale restoration needs us to be better managers,” said Russ Svec, to be based on the best information the tribe’s fisheries manager. “Our fisher- we can muster.” – E. O’Connell ies technician, Zac Espinoza, has worked E. O’Connell removing tags for years. He now enters the Joe Peters, salmon biologist for the data in-season and is assisted with tag re- Squaxin Island Tribe, measures an out- moval by a seasonal technician.” migrating coho salmon on Goldsborough Creek. The need for speed led the tribe to create its own CWT program in 2008 that has become a full-scale operation. Makah tribal natural resources staff created the lab used to retrieve the coded-wire tags, which also is used by the tribe’s marine mammal biologist and other fisheries staff. – D. Preston 12 Keeping a Close Eye on Nisqually Winter Chum In recent years, the Nisqually Tribe has restricted fishing near the mouth of Muck Creek, an important chum spawning tributary to the Nisqually River. “A third of the chum spawning in the watershed come back to Muck Creek,” said David Troutt, natural resources director for the tribe. “But the creek only flows after there has been enough rain. By pushing the fishery away from the creek’s mouth, we can be sure enough chum get in there.” Because chum leave fresh water soon after they hatch from the gravel in the spring, they’re able to leave Muck Creek before it dries up again

in the summer. E. O’Connell Managing a fishery on one of Meleno Lavato, a volunteer for the Nisqually Tribe, hoists a fish during the tribe’s chum the few all-wild runs of salmon in salmon fishery. Puget Sound takes great care. The Nisqually Tribe keeps a close eye on conducted by the tribe on area creeks have quality spawning habitat when both their commercial chum harvest to determine how many fish have re- they return. and fish on the spawning grounds. turned to reproduce. “The tribe has been working for de- “Chum is the most important fish, “Practically every other salmon cades to ensure that there is enough culturally and economically, to us,” run that supports harvest in Puget quality habitat to support the chum,” said Georgiana Kautz, tribal natu- Sound is largely hatchery-support- Troutt said. The tribe has worked ral resources manager. “We want to ed,” Troutt said. “The Nisqually with Fort Lewis and the Roy commu- make sure enough salmon make it chum run is unique in Puget Sound nity to restore several miles of chum up the river to spawn so there will be because it is an entirely wild run of habitat along Muck Creek. fish in the future.” salmon that can support harvest.” – E. O’Connell In addition to closely monitoring Also, because the Nisqually chum tribal harvest, spawning surveys are run is wild, it is critical that the fish

Generations

Muckleshoot tribal member Big John is shown holding a dip net outside his home on the Muckleshoot Reservation around 1913. The photograph was taken by noted ethnologist Arthur Ballard.

Ballard described this type of net as “the kind used in connection with the salmon weir to retrieve salmon. A network of cords is strung between the crossbars, one of the cords being held in the hand of the person holding the net.

“With the hoop resting on the bottom in the enclosure of the weir, a salmon entering and colliding with the cord network makes his presence known to the fisherman whereupon the apparatus is raised from the bottom, the net fills out, imprisoning the salmon, which is immediately clubbed and thrown ashore.” Muckleshoot Preservation Program’s Library and Archives Collection

13 More Canoes Tribe Welcomes Shovel-Nosed Canoe Collect Water Quality Data Although the tribe’s canoe was not yet finished, the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe participated in the 2011 Tribal Canoe Journey’s water quality survey. They traveled down the Sauk and Skagit rivers to the Swinomish reservation with Shane Turnbull of Chinook Expeditions, towing a water quality probe on the back of the K. Neumeyer Sauk-Suiattle tribal members gather in the longhouse around a shovel-nose canoe that was canoe. carved by Lummi master carver Felix Solomon, far right. For the past four years, tribal ca- The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe the Sauk-Suiattle reserva- geometric precision. Solo- noes have worked with the U.S. Geo- has welcomed home a tion near Darrington. mon received grants to graphical Survey to monitor water shovel-nosed canoe, carved Once the main form of study traditional carving quality along the journey route. This from a 700-year-old cedar transportation for many methods and was aided was the first year the survey includ- tree that survived a light- Northwest tribes, hand- by his mentor, renowned ed data from a river. ning strike and forest fire, carved dugout canoes have Northwest carver Duane The probes measure water qual- and has been lying under a become something of a rar- Pasco. ity by collecting information about road for a century. ity. Out of about 100 canoes A week before the ca- temperature, conductivity, salinity, “This canoe is a represen- at the 2011 Tribal Canoe noe was delivered to Sauk- pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. tation of what our people Journey, only 10 were dug- Suiattle, Solomon and The results are posted on the and other tribes have gone outs, Solomon said. Hoffman put it in the water through,” said Michael In 2010, Solomon carved for the first time. USGS website: usgs.gov/features/ Hoffman, Sauk-Suiattle a shovel-nosed canoe for “What this canoe will coastsalish. council member. “This ca- the Stillaguamish Tribe. do for future generations, In addition to Sauk-Suiattle, other noe does have a heart.” “I feel very fortunate to I can’t even imagine,” tribes that participated in the 2011 The tribe held a ceremo- be able to carve a second Hoffman said. “In 100 survey were Squaxin Island and ny in late summer when one so close to the first years, Sauk-Suiattle will Swinomish, and the Squamish First Lummi Nation master one,” Solomon said. “It’s still be around and so will Nation and Musgamagw Tribe of carver Felix Solomon de- still fresh in my heart.” this canoe.” – K. Neumeyer British Columbia. livered the 30-foot canoe to Canoe carving requires

Tulalip Tribes Enhancing Huckleberry Fields for Harvest The Tulalip Tribes and the U.S. Forest tool. Service have partnered to enhance “For thousands of years, tribes nurtured huckleberry fields for tribal gathering in the landscapes they depended upon for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National their health and survival,” said Hank Forest. Gobin, director of the Tulalip Tribes Wild mountain huckleberries are sacred Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural to Northwest tribes, but traditional gather- History Preserve. ing areas have suffered from generations “That included land management prac- of fire suppression and forest management tices to maintain a diversity of plant and activities favoring old-growth forests that animal populations, like burning for wild- don’t support mountain huckleberry spe- life forage, and pruning or burning for cies. huckleberry.” For the past two years, Tulalip staff Huckleberry plants in the North helped thin forest stands in the Darrington Cascades thrived after the mature forest Ranger District to reduce competition from was harvested in the 1980s, but fruit older trees. A controlled burn is planned production has declined as conifers have re- to rejuvenate the huckleberry fields by re- established themselves. It may take several Jason Gobin, Tulalip Tribes ducing the tree canopy. Northwest tribes years after the controlled burn to see a Tulalip tribal youth gather huckleberries on have a long history of using fire as both a measurable increase in fruit production. Harlan Ridge in an area that has been enhanced cultural practice and a forest management – K. Neumeyer through a partnership between Tulalip and the U.S. Forest Service. 14 Slime Equals Smile T. RoyalT. (2) Tribal hatcheries aren’t filled with just fish in the fall – school groups often crowd the facilities for a hands-on experience to learn about returning salmon. Left: Students from MAC program at Franklin Elementary in Port Angeles help fertilize eggs at the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s new hatchery. Right: Students from Clear Creek Elementary in Silverdale watch fish spawn at the Suquamish Tribe’s Grovers Creek Hatchery.

StudentsThe Port Gamble S’Klallam and Tribe Staff and Northwest IndianBenefit Col- McClain. From “There really isCollege a need for more nativeLaboratory environmental lege recently added a science lab to the college’s satellite campus professionals in tribal natural resources departments.” on the tribe’s reservation to meet the needs of a growing number Tribal members as scientists bring a cultural knowledge to their of students in the college’s native environmental science degree work, in addition to using mainstream research methods, said Joel program. Green, the college’s science director. “The key for this space coming to fruition was the enthusiasm The lab allows the college to provide more science-based of the students and the need for it,” said science instructor Joyce classes on the Port Gamble S’Klallam campus, while doubling T. Royal as a computer lab and classroom. It is available also to the Port Gamble S’Klallam’s natural resources department, which works with students through internships and classes to give them an idea of what they can do with their degrees. Dave Fuller, the tribe’s hydrogeologist and water resources manager, has a master’s degree in geology and will help teach a geology class required for a bachelor’s degree in native environmental science. “A lot of tribal members want to get college degrees, but have family responsibilities and have difficulty leaving the reservation,” Fuller said. “Having the college extension campus provides a win-win situation for training tribal members so they can take jobs within the tribe and responsibly address environmental is- sues from a tribal perspective.” The college’s main campus is on the Lummi Nation reservation near Bellingham, with extended campuses on six reservations in Washington and Idaho. – T. Royal

Northwest Indian College science instructor Joyce McClain sets up barnacles under a microscope in the college’s new science lab on the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s reservation. 15 Walking On

Howard Hudson Howard Dean Hudson, 75, a lifelong res- with repairing and remodeling competi- ident of the Hoh River area, passed away tors’ canoes from other tribes. As a young Nov. 21, at Harborview Medical Center in man, he played basketball and baseball, Seattle. including a stint with the Seattle Thun- Hudson was born April 3, 1936 in Forks derbirds managed by his cousin, Reggie to Theodore and Pansy (Howeattle) Hud- Ward. He managed a similar team made up son. of Hoh and Quileute tribal members. Hudson was a lifelong treaty fisherman, He enjoyed traveling and spent time in hunter and gatherer and served as chair- places all over the United States and Mex- man of the Hoh Tribe during the Boldt ico. decision. He taught his children and oth- He is survived by his wife of 51 years, ers the skills and culture associated with Yvonne Marguerite (Inman) Hudson, of proper harvest. Potato Hill was a favorite Hoh River; son Joseph Dean Hudson Jr. of destination to pick huckleberries and he Hoh River; brothers William E. Johnstone was frequently surrounded by children. of Cosmopolis, Edward E. Johnstone, Guy He was a renowned canoe racer and R. McMinds and sister Lillian Ida John- builder and taught his sons and nephews stone of Taholah; many grandchildren, the keys to winning as well as assisting great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews;

Blanchard Matte Blanchard Merle Matte, 72, of Neah see it working. Bay, died Dec. 2 in Gig Harbor. He was a member of the Assembly He was born Jan. 2, 1939 in Neah Bay of God church, the Veterans of Foreign to Richard and Amy (Markishtum) Matte. Wars in Neah Bay and the Makah Tribal He was married to Phyllis Sampson of Bar Association. the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and later Matte was preceded in death by his to Katherine Logan of Everett. parents and sisters Ann Tryon and Sherry The Makah tribal elder served six years Matte. on tribal council following service in the He is survived by his daughters Colleen U.S. Navy and earning his associate of Matte and Phyllis “Amy” Matte of Lower arts degree at Peninsula College. He was Elwha; sisters Sarah McKenney of Neah a grants writer and business planner for Bay, Shirley Matte of Neah Bay and Dixie the tribe as well as a fisherman. One of Smith of Seattle; brother Richard Matte his proudest achievements was working of Portland, Ore.; and six grandchildren. with many others to get the Indian Child Welfare Act approved by Congress and