Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Fall 2011 NWIFCnwifc.org News

Inside: ■ Dam Deconstruction Begins ■ Dikes Removed from Estuary ■ Cultural Center Teaches Traditions ■ Habitat Enhanced for Spawning Salmon ■ SONAR Surveys Habitat ■ Strong Razor Clam Harvest Expected

 Being Frank NWIFC News Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Big Thanks to Lower Elwha 6730 Martin Way E. By Billy Frank Jr. Olympia, WA 98516 (360) 438-1180 NWIFC Chairman e all owe a big “thank you” to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. They never NWIFC News is published quarterly. Free Wgave up on getting those two dams torn down, and today that dream is be- subscriptions are available. This edition is coming a reality. For 100 years they have had to wait for their treaty rights to be also online at nwifc.org. Articles in NWIFC restored and for the salmon to return. News may be reprinted. The salmon never gave jobs, that healthy salmon NWIFC Chairman up either. At a recent dam runs and a healthy economy Billy Frank Jr. removal celebration, I saw can go hand-in-hand. Executive Director 73 chinook swimming in The dam removal cel- Mike Grayum the clear green water at the ebration was really a cele- foot of the Elwha Dam, bration of treaty rights. For Information and Education Services Division Manager ready and waiting. And it a century the two dams built Tony Meyer won’t be long before the without fish ladders denied river’s estuary comes back the Lower Elwha Klallam Regional Information Officers to life, too, with clams spit- Tribe its treaty-reserved Debbie Preston, Coast ting all over the place. right to harvest salmon, a Emmett O’Connell, South Sound Tiffany Royal, / This is a great day for the fundamental part of tribal Elwha people. All of those culture, communities and Kari Neumeyer, North Sound who have gone before us, economies. they’re looking down on the Elwha, too, The Lower Elwha Klallam people have Editorial Assistant Sheila McCloud and they are witnessing what is happen- put their treaty rights to work, restoring ing. And they are smiling. the Elwha for all of us, Indian and non- NWIFC Member Tribes: Hoh, “Economic engine,” “long-term eco- Indian. Their name means “strong peo- Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, nomic growth” and “investment in the ple,” and you damn well better believe Nation, , , future” are some of the words folks have they’re strong. It’s the kind of strength Nisqually, Nooksack, Port Gamble used to describe the benefits of the dam we all need on our journey to recover the S’Klallam, Puyallup, Quileute, , Sauk-Suiattle, Skokomish, removal project. And they’re right. salmon. Squaxin Island, Stillaguamish, , The has struggled That’s because there are many more , and Upper Skagit for years as its fishing and timber-based Elwha dams out there. They might not jobs have disappeared. But removal of look the same, and they might go by oth- Tribal contact information is available un- the Elwha River dams is changing that. er names, like floodplain development, der Member Tribes at nwifc.org. Hope is replacing fear, jobs are being shoreline armoring and nonpoint pollu- Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/nwifc created and more will be coming in the tion, but they are just as deadly to salm- and on Twitter: @NWIFC long term. More than 3 million people on. And like the Elwha dams, they’re just visit Olympic National Park every year, as effective at denying all of us healthy and that number will only increase as the salmon runs, a healthy environment and river is restored. a healthy economy. We all need to make These things tell us that we can con- sure that no more dams get in the salm- serve our natural resources and create on’s way.

On the cover: NOAA Fisheries research biologist Kinsey Frick and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe project biologist Ray Moses release one of 20 chinook salmon for the first time in nearly 100 years above the Glines Canyon dam. The chinook were outfit- ted with radio-transmitter tags before being released so biologists can track their migration patterns. D. Preston

 Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Freeing the Elwha: Celebrating Dam Removal

By The Numbers: Elwha River Dam Removal

20 Chinook Salmon Released into the upper Elwha watershed this fall for the first time in nearly 100 years

66 River Restoration Projects Presented at the Elwha River Science Symposium

19 Eagles Flew over the ceremony on Sept. 17 at Elwha Dam

24 Million National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis celebrates the start of dam removal with Lower Elwha Cubic yards of sediment that will Klallam Tribe river restoration director Rob Elofson and tribal chairwoman Frances Charles. be removed by truck and/or flown down river

The thunderous beat of drums in the trib- here to see it.” 19 Years al gym sounded louder than usual: the beat “My grandma and grandpa lived on the Since the Elwha River Ecosystem harder, the men’s voices deeper, the wom- river,” said tribal member Byron Bennett, and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992 was passed by Congress en’s voices louder and the smiles bigger wearing a black shirt with the words, “It’s during the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s About Dam Time 9-17-11.” “Grandpa was 18 Tribal Councils dam removal celebration Sept. 17. one of the original signees of the reserva- Since river restoration started For nearly 100 years, the tribe has waited tion. He grew up on the river and was a pro- to celebrate the demolition of the Elwha ponent for dam removal.” $325 Million Estimated cost of entire river River’s two fish-blocking As the excavator tore into the Elwha restoration project dams, which have violated Dam Sept. 17, Bennett said he was think- the tribe’s treaty rights since ing of his dad and grandfather. they were constructed in the “The river is going to be given a sec- early 20th century. The dams ond chance to restore itself,” Bennett said. blocked all but the lower 5 “With this project and Mother Nature run- miles of the river, devastating ning her course, we will turn the river back. Scientists Gather for River salmon populations. We are essentially turning the clock back Prior to dam removal, a 99 years on this project.” – T. Royal Restoration Conference week of celebration includ- More than 300 scientists gathered at ed storytelling, drumming, Peninsula College in Port Angeles for the D. Preston (3) a fundraising gala for the Elwha River Science Symposium during a tribe’s education program, interviews with week of activities marking removal of the elders and a two-day conference on river Elwha River dams. Researchers have been restoration efforts with scientists from all meeting for the past several years to share over the world. their progress on the many projects related “We’re numb. We’re excited. We’re to the river’s restoration. enthused,” said tribal chairwoman Fran- Nearly 70 presentations were made on ces Charles on the eve of the Elwha Dam topics that included river and nearshore demolition. “There are no words for how habitat restoration, wildlife migration pat- we’re going to be feeling when we see that terns, and how 24 million cubic yards of machine rock and roll and take that brick sediment in the river’s reservoirs are going out of the dam. Our elders are going to to be managed. be so joyful with what is taking place out Recaps of some of the presentations there. They’re saying they just can’t be- can be found at blogs.nwifc.org/elwha. lieve we’re able to witness what is going to be taking place tomorrow.” “I feel sorry that my ancestors and grandparents aren’t here to see the dams re- Jordan Saluskin, 2, performs with the Lower moved,” said elder Adeline Smith. “That’s Elwha Klallam singers and drummers at the the only sorrow I have. I wish they were dam removal ceremony Sept. 17.

 Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Logs Restore PreparingNo Rest the Elwha RiverDuring valley for removal Dam of its two damsRemoval requires exploring every as- pect of river restoration. Recently, the tribe has been watching riverbeds emerge following River Habitat With the help of a heavy-lift he- the drawdown of the dams’ reservoirs. The tribe also has set up equipment near the river’s licopter, the Lower Elwha Klallam mouth to measure sediment that will flow down the river during and after dam removal. Tribe placed 140 trees in a 1-mile stretch of the Twin River water- shed recently to create better habi- tat for salmon. “Many watersheds on the Olym- pic Peninsula have been affected by historic logging practices in the last century, as well as forest fires, both of which removed stream- side vegetation and simplified fish habitat,” said Mike McHenry, the tribe’s habitat biologist. The helicopter placed trees as large as 50 feet long and 30 inches in diameter, and weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Some of the trees had large root- wads, which act like an anchor in the creek. The rootwad helps slow

T. RoyalT. down the water to create shallow Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe project biologist Rebecca Pradis and tribal environmental quality techni- pools where fish rest and feed. cian Daniel Bennett test a sediment measuring tool in the Elwha River estuary. They also help create gravel beds suitable for salmon to spawn and Behind the Reservoirs Measuring Sediment create redds, or salmon egg nests. For the first time in nearly a century, the As the dams come down, the tribe will The Twin River watershed is manmade reservoirs behind the Elwha Riv- monitor how a portion of 24 million cubic home to coho and chum salmon, er’s two fish-blocking dams are starting to yards of built-up sediment will affect the cutthroat trout and coastal steel- look like riverbeds. river’s estuaries at its mouth. head. – T. Royal The Aldwell and Mills reservoirs were For the past century, sediment has built up lowered 20 feet this summer in advance of behind the river’s two dams. As the dams are the removal of the 108-foot-tall Elwha and deconstructed the next few years, much of 210-foot-tall Glines Canyon dams. that sediment will come down the river. “The deltas of the Aldwell and Mills res- “We know a lot of sediment will be depos- ervoirs are exposed and new river channels ited within the streambed of the lower river are forming,” said Mike McHenry, the tribe’s but we don’t know how much will be depos- fisheries habitat manager. “Reservoir shore- ited in the estuary and how it will change,” lines that have been underwater for decades said Matt Beirne, the tribe’s environmental are finally being exposed, revealing old coordinator. sandbars and stumps from logging.” Estuaries are important for salmon because A top priority of the reservoir restoration they provide a place for salmon to hide from project is to prevent invasive plant spe- predators and to feed and grow before head- cies from entering Olympic National Park, ing to sea. McHenry said. More than 150 exotic spe- The tribe has set up 15 sediment monitor- cies have been identified within the Lower ing locations throughout the 50-acre estuary. Elwha watershed. As the dams are removed, Using a specialized measuring device called the tribe and the park service will remove a Surface Elevation Table (SET), the tribe invasive species, such as Scotch broom, St. will determine at regular intervals how much John’s Wort and canary grass, found on the sediment is building up throughout the estu- reservoirs’ shorelines. ary. The SET uses fiberglass pins to measure Within the two reservoirs, restoration the change in height of the deposited sedi- crews will seed 261 acres and plant native ment. – T. Royal RoyalT. vegetation on 440 acres including dogwood, Helicopter crew member Stephen Johnson helps direct a log into East cottonwood, willow, alder and Douglas fir. Twin Creek.

 Nisqually Tribe Final Dikes Removed in Nisqually Estuary The Nisqually Indian Tribe removed more than a mile of dike along the Nisqually River this summer, allowing it to migrate naturally for the first time in a century. Removing 6,670 feet of dike is the last major restora- tion project in the Nisqually estuary and caps more than decade of estuary restoration. Since 1999, the tribe and the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge have removed more than 10,000 feet of dikes and restored more than 800 acres of estuary. Because this is the last dike coming down along the river, the mouth of the Nisqually may choose to move at some point. “Historically, the river was able to move across its wide floodplain at the mouth,” said Florian Leischner, salmon restoration biologist for the tribe. “But for the past cen- tury, it’s been held in one path by the dikes.” In addition to removing the dikes, the tribe also will reconnect at least three tidal channels. “These channels are vital to salmon survival in the ear- ly part of their life cycle,” Leischner said. The newly re- stored estuary is giving juvenile salmon from throughout a place to feed and grow before they migrate to the open ocean. E. O’Connell “We’ve been tracking a lot of benefits for salmon in Florian Leischner, biologist with the Nisqually Tribe, observes a dike being removed from the Nisqually River estuary. the estuary since it has been restored,” said David Troutt, natural resources director for the tribe. “Our studies show the Nisqually,” said Georgianna Kautz, natural resources that the young salmon are benefiting. The salmon that are manager for the Nisqually Tribe. “The right to harvest coming into the estuary are finding the food they need salmon that the tribe reserved in our treaty is meaningless here.” if we don’t have salmon to harvest and the habitat to sup- “Restored habitat means more salmon will return to port them.” – E. O’Connell Weir Separates Chinook Salmon Returning to Watershed Since the 1960s, when the native Nisqually chinook were killed off by indis- criminate hatchery plantings, hydroelectric practices and overharvest, all chinook re- turning to the Nisqually (both hatchery and natural origin) have descended from an im- ported stock. “Given the history of chinook salmon in the Nisqually, restoring habitat is abso- lutely necessary before you start worry- ing about the mix between hatchery and natural origin on the spawning grounds,” Troutt said. “To develop a local stock, we need to be sure that only natural origin fish E. O’Connell are spawning in the river. That is where the Jon Sharp, of Sharp Brothers Construction and a Nisqually tribal member, puts together the first set of panels as part of a new weir on the Nisqually River. weir comes in.” Tribal staff will sort chinook by whether The Nisqually Indian Tribe will boost habitat in Puget Sound,” said David Troutt, they have an adipose fin. Wild fish have salmon productivity by using a weir to sort natural resources director for the tribe. “By adipose fins and hatchery fish are clipped hatchery salmon from naturally spawning removing hatchery fish from the spawning before release. The river-spanning weir, chinook migrating upriver. grounds, we can develop a locally adapted, located on the Fort Lewis military reserva- “In the past 10 years, the Nisqually water- naturally spawning chinook stock to take tion, will operate when chinook salmon are shed has seen the largest increase of salmon advantage of that habitat.” in the river. – E. O’Connell

 GrayThe Suquamish Whale Tribe acquired a 30-foot-Offers Educational Opportunity long dead gray whale this summer that will be used for educational purposes. “We saw this as a great opportunity for the tribe,” said Rob Purser, Suquamish’s fisheries director. “Historically, tribes would trade parts of the whale with each other, since not all tribes had access to them within their fishing areas. Tribal members would use every part of the animal, includ- ing fat for cooking and bones for tools. To- day, the younger generation seems attracted to whales, so there is a lot of interest in this mammal.” The whale beached itself on private tide- lands on Erlands Point near Silverdale July 27. The property owner said it was alive when it came ashore that morning but died shortly thereafter. The cause of death is unknown. RoyalT. Suquamish fisheries staff Ben Purser, Jay Zischke and Ron Harrell work from a skiff to wrap the Biologists from the Depart- whale in a net so it can be towed. ment of Fish and Wildlife, Cascadia Re- search and the National Oceanic and Atmo- and using its skeleton for educational pur- Reservation. spheric Administration (NOAA) gathered poses. The whale was left in the water to de- samples from the emaciated young male, In August, staff from the tribe’s fisher- compose over the next three to six months determining it to be about 3-5 years old. ies department wrapped the whale in nets with the help of crab and other marine ani- NOAA then asked the tribe if it would be and slowly towed it from the private beach mals; the tribe will then assemble the bones interested in taking possession of the whale to a location near the Port Madison Indian for display. – T. Royal

MarineSeveral hundred fishFish have again Die-Off washed drives the lowHits oxygen waterQuinault to shore, chas- up on Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) beach- ing these bottom-dwelling fish toward the es following a low oxygen event off the beach until they run out of room,” Maz- coast of Washington. zone said. Wolf eels and ling cod typically Bottom-dwelling wolf eels, cabezon and live at depths of 100 feet or less and are not crab washed up at Point Grenville near Ta- adapted to low oxygen levels like deeper- holah in the first part of September when water species. low levels of oxygen were recorded by the “We have the additional tool this time of Center for Coastal Margin and Observation the research glider that was recording those in cooperation with QIN. low oxygen levels ranging from Grays “It was a smaller event than in 2006,” Harbor north along our coast,” said Joe said Scott Mazzone, QIN marine and shell- Schumacker, the tribe’s marine resources fish biologist. “It seems it’s just going to be scientist. “We need to research it more, but a part of living on the coast now.” Twice just doing some checking with elders and in July of 2006, large numbers of shallow some of our fishermen, there aren’t any bottom-dwelling fish washed up on QIN stories about this particular kind of event beaches and south to Ocean Shores because before 2006. Currents and winds that have of low oxygen levels. been the same for decades may be chang- The dead zone of low oxygen water is ing.” created by a natural upwelling of dense, QIN has advocated for additional moni- oxygen-poor but nutrient-rich water that toring tools off the coast and is working supports the marine food chain. closely with the National Science Founda- “When the north winds get interrupted tion to place a monitoring buoy south of for a while, it stops mixing out at sea and Taholah. – D. Preston Wolf eels, like this one, and other bottom-dwelling fish washed up on the beaches of the Quinault Indian Nation reservation recently during several low oxygen events that have killed treaty resources important to the tribe. D. Preston  Paddle to Swinomish More than 100 arrived on the shores of the Swinomish reservation July 25 for the annual Tribal Journey. The tribe welcomed canoe families from all over the and , plus Hawaii and New Zealand.

Below: Tribal members Bryson King and Willie Hatch, donning traditional masks, prepare to ask permission for the Quileute Tribe canoe family to come ashore.

Right: A canoe family paddles past Swadabs Landing on the Swinomish Reservation. The canoe landing is part of a new community beach and salmon habitat restoration project, completed in time for the Tribal Canoe Journey. It features three pavilions shaped like traditional cedar hats. D. Preston T. RoyalT.

Swinomish Turning Contaminated Land into Open Space The Swinomish Tribe is cleaning up a former lime storage area by removing about 280 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 100 creosote wood pilings. The contaminated site is adjacent to the Swinomish Channel near the mouth of Padilla Bay. When the channel was created in the 1930s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dumped dredge spoils on the Swinomish Reservation, converting an intertidal area of mudflats and marshes into uplands. The area was leased by a non-tribal member from 1964 to 1989 when it was used to store lime and other products for agricultural use. The storage building was demolished in 2003, but a concrete slab, debris and a burn pile remain. Contamination at the site includes bioaccumulative toxins that could end up in marine waters through surface water runoff into the Swinomish Channel. The tribe intends to restore open space on the site, which is near the Swinomish casino, gas station, RV park, and a hotel under con- struction. “Our economic development area is blighted by the debris at the lime storage site,” said tribal Chairman Brian Cladoosby. “We need to remove the debris and contaminated soil to make the area K. Neumeyer safer for everyone. It’s a step toward undoing decades of environ- Old creosote pilings contaminate marine waters and sediment. The Swinomish Tribe plans to remove 100 degraded pilings from the mouth mental degradation.” – K. Neumeyer of Padilla Bay.

 Tulalip Tribes

RediscoveringTulalip tribal leaders have dreamed Oldfor decades Ways of a museum to preserve and pass down their culture. One phase of that dream came true in August, with the opening of the 23,000-square-foot Hibulb Cultural Center building. In the museum, a traditional dugout canoe lines a hallway that leads to interactive exhibits, a model longhouse, research library, classrooms and gift shop. Hibulb features certified collections and an archaeological repository, entrusted with the responsibil- ity to manage historic tribal artifacts discovered throughout Puget Sound. However, teaching traditional life ways can’t happen entirely indoors, so Tulalip also is working on a 50-acre natural history preserve next to the museum. The forested area will be enhanced with native plants, pathways, viewing areas and tribal sculptures. “The Hibulb Natural History Preserve will be a place for com- munity rediscovery,” said Hank Gobin, Tulalip cultural resource manager. “The preserve will continue to promote respect and an understanding of our environment through prayer and only taking from nature what is needed, with as little damage to the environ- ment as possible.” While it will be many years before the nature preserve is com- plete, the tribe’s Re-Discovery summer youth program already is using it to teach traditional gathering methods. In late July, pro- K. Neumeyer gram coordinator Inez Bill showed Jess Moses how to harvest the Re-Discovery student Joyce Bagley sorts jars of traditional plants that she leaves of fireweed for tea, without harming the flower. helped gather during the summer youth program. “We don’t uproot the plants, because we want them to come back,” Bill said. “Our diets have changed over the past 500 years, which has ad- A key benefit of the nature preserve is that it allows tribal mem- versely affected our people,” he said. “Doctors tell us if we go bers to teach youth about traditional foods and medicinal uses of back to our natural diet, our health will improve.” – K. Neumeyer plants, Gobin said.

Generations

This rare picture from 1915 fea- tures two sisters of Snohomish Tribal Chief Schiamkin. On the left is Sally, whose Snohomish dialect name was pronounced “TJEL-tsah,” meaning “bow on dress.” On the right is Amanda, whose Snohom- ish name “TSEES-oh-lahs” means “canoe going along.” Between them is their friend “Ad-ZOO-leetza,” meaning “clean dress.”

The Tulalip Tribes are the succes- sors in interest to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Skykomish tribes.

Hibulb Cultural Center, Tulalip Tribes

 Skokomish Tribe Receivesdeeds to severalCushman parcels of land. Settlement The tribe received more than 500 acres at the mouth of the Skokomish River, where the tribe has been restoring the tidal estuary; nearly 3 acres of land at Saltwater Park with more than 470 feet of shoreline on Hood Canal; and more than 500 acres of land along Lake Cushman that contains significant tribal cultural sites. In addition to an $11 million payment, the tribe also will receive 7.25 percent of the value of electric production from the Cushman No. 2 powerhouse. Additionally, as part of the license conditions, Tacoma Power will install a new genera- tor, construct a fish passage facility and operate the dams until 2048. “We’ve all worked long and hard to reach a consensus on how to operate the project, mitigating and taking into con- T. RoyalT. Skokomish Tribe natural resources director Joseph Pavel speaks to sideration the natural resources and the tribe’s spiritual and a crowd during the recent land transfer celebration. cultural concerns,” said Joseph Pavel, the tribe’s natural re- sources director. “These are the conditions that both parties The Skokomish Tribe celebrated the transfer of 1,000 acres could agree upon.” of waterfront land into tribal ownership recently as part of The two dams were built on the North Fork more than 80 the Cushman Hydroelectric Project license settlement. years ago, providing electricity to the city of Tacoma but The land transfer was the result of nearly 40 years of ne- blocking salmon from the upper watershed. The dams re- gotiations between the tribe and city of Tacoma over the re- duced the North Fork’s flow to a trickle and altered the biol- licensing of the two Cushman Dams on the North Fork of the ogy and geology of the river system, while also affecting the Skokomish River. During a celebration on Lake Cushman tribe’s culture and treaty-reserved fishing rights. – T. Royal Sept. 9, Skokomish Tribal Chairman Guy Miller signed the

LummiFishing isNation a seasonal career. SeeksFor example, to Keep some tribal Fishermen mem- in the Industry With many salmon runs on the bers are training at Skagit Valley decline, tribal fishermen are find- College’s Marine Manufactur- ing it harder than ever to make ing and Technology Center to ends meet all year long. Even get certified in all phases of boat when salmon returns are plenti- building. ful, commercial fishermen who “A lot of our guys are interest- make a lot of money during part ed in boat building,” said Kathy of the year might have no income Pierre, project director for Lum- at all after the season ends. mi Fishers. “That’s the skill set The Lummi Fishers Project is they already have, but they just helping tribal members develop might not be certified. Gaining skills and business plans that al- the certification opens up a whole low them to remain in the fishing set of doors to other jobs.” industry and still earn a living. Others have been trained to “We’re not training them out participate in the commercial of the industry,” said Elden Hill- squid, sardine and herring indus- aire, chairman of the Lummi Na- tries in Alaska, California and tion Fisheries Commission. “Our Oregon. They’ve acquired new fishermen are always going to be skills such as hanging different fishermen.” nets, working with hydraulics With the help of a $3.4 million and repairing boats. U.S. Department of Labor grant, An ideal example is a diver Lummi Fishers works individu- who also is a welder by trade, ally with commercial fishermen Pierre said. He is training in un- to match them with training and derwater welding, which will careers that are linked to their ex- make him employable all year isting skills. long. – K. Neumeyer

Lummi purse seiner Oceanaire fishes for sockeye near Point Roberts. The K. Neumeyer Lummi Fishers Project is helping fishermen earn a living even when the season is closed.  D. Preston Quinault Indian Nation fisheries technicians conduct their annual survey of Kalaloch Beach with the assistance of Hoh tribal fisheries technicians, including Mario Reyes, shown recording clam sizes before returning them to the beach. QIN Expects Good Razor Clam Season Razor clam populations are the clams to reproduce and in- were in 2006 or 2007,” said scientist for QIN. A NIX out- a mixed bag on beaches from crease the population. Harvest Scott Mazzone, QIN marine break can wipe out nearly all Copalis to Kalaloch, accord- is split evenly between tribal and shellfish biologist. of the razor clams on a beach. ing to an annual survey by the and state diggers. A razor-clam specific disease, “You see half-dead and dead Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) Razor clams are important Nuclear Inclusion X (NIX) is clams all over the beach dur- and Washington Department of culturally and economically likely not affecting clam popu- ing an outbreak,” Schumacker Fish and Wildlife. Some beach- to QIN. Commercial harvest lations this year. said. es had fewer clams available on beaches south of Kalaloch “While we believe NIX is The disease does not affect for harvest; others had more. is processed as clam steaks by present at low levels in some of humans who eat clams. The last QIN and the state set a har- QIN or sold as bait. the clams on our beaches, it isn’t severe outbreak occurred in the vest rate of 25.4 percent of the “While numbers are down a killing clams like it does when 1980s. – D. Preston population for clams 3 inches little on Kalaloch this year, they we have outbreaks,” said Joe or larger, leaving 75 percent of are actually better than they Schumacker, marine resources

Toxin Closes Sequim Bay Fast Facts: DSP ● Diarrhetic shellfish Shellfish Beds for a Month poisoning is caused by The Jamestown S’Klallam Toy, the tribe’s shellfish pro- a toxin produced by an Tribe took an economic hit re- gram manager. “Fortunately, algae called Dinophysis, cently when shellfish harvest- bloom season is nearly over.” commonly found ers were forced off the beaches The biotoxin was discovered around Sequim Bay and Dawn Moran, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution by diarrhetic shellfish poison- when a Seattle family reported Puget Sound. ing (DSP) in Sequim Bay. getting sick in June after eating ● Before now, the toxin ● DSP in people can DSP was found in high con- mussels harvested from Sequim has been detected in cause symptoms centrations only in mussels, but Bay State Park. non-harmful amounts. including diarrhea, the tribe recalled all harvested Shellfish tissue samples take ● A combination of higher nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and shellfish from August and shut more than a week to be tested temperatures, sunlight chills. down tribal harvesting to be on because the state Department of and nutrient-rich waters ● Cooking or freezing the the safe side. Health doesn’t have the equip- may have enabled the algae to bloom and shellfish does not kill “This was the first time DSP ment to test for DSP; Samples the DSP toxin. showed up in harmful levels in have to be sent out of state. reach more toxic levels. the ,” said Kelly – T. Royal 10 Puyallup Saves Redds by Returning Creek to Channel The Puyallup Tribe of Indi- enough water for salmon when there, the eggs were dead.” sidering filling in the former ans has improved habitat for the two channels try to share Tribal staff built and main- channel, permanently blocking chinook and steelhead eggs the same low flow,” said Russ tained a temporary dike during the creek from rerouting again. by rerouting the lower portion Ladley, resource protection the summer, forcing the main Boise Creek has one of the of Boise Creek into a restored manager for the tribe. flow of the creek back into the highest densities of steelhead channel. Five steelhead redds (egg new channel. and chinook spawning in the During a flood last April, Boi- nests) were dewatered com- When flows began to drop, entire watershed. se Creek split its flow between pletely when the creek’s flow tribal staff monitored the lower “It is vital for salmon to have a newly restored channel and a was split. end of the creek before it joins good habitat where they can former channel. Once the storm “We came back out after the the White River. Temporary spawn and rear,” Ladley said. subsided, water levels became high water to see what hap- shading was installed by King – E. O’Connell dangerously low in both. pened to those redds,” Ladley County staff to control water “Unfortunately, there isn’t said “By the time we got out temperature. The county is con- E. O’Connell Eric Marks, a fisheries biologist with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, shores up a temporary dike built by tribal staff to protect salmon on Boise Creek.

Muckleshoot Eyes Pools that Keep Salmon Cool Biologists working for the Muckleshoot deep pools,” said Martin Fox, habitat biolo- Indian Tribe are taking a close look at pools gist for the Muckleshoot Tribe. in the lower Green River to help protect Last year, the tribe’s fisheries staff mea- them for spawning salmon and steelhead. sured and mapped the pools using ocean Pool habitat is rare in the Green River, depth sounding. This summer they looked which has been degraded by levee modifi- at physical factors such as temperature, wa- cations and bank stabilization projects. ter velocity, instream cover, and where fish More levee and bank work is planned are hanging out. by local governments and the U.S. Army Temperature is a vital factor in the health Corps of Engineers in the next decade. of returning salmon. Warm water forces Tribal staff want to survey and map the adult salmon to expend more energy as they remaining pools and gain a better under- migrate upriver. If they can’t find deep, cool standing of how salmon use them. pools, they could die before spawning. “Because there are almost no trees along The areas being surveyed are near where the Green River where there are dikes and local governments are proposing to rebuild E. O’Connell levees, potentially one of the only ways existing levees. – E. O’Connell Patrick Reynolds, left, and Martin Fox, adult fish can find cool water is in these Muckleshoot biologists, survey a pool on the Green River in Auburn.

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AddingThe Squaxin Island Tribe Gravel has Improves Spawning Habitat added tons of gravel to Little Skookum Creek, near Ka- milche, to help spawning and rearing salmon. “Skookum Creek lacks the kind of gravel that salmon need to spawn,” said John Konovsky, environmental program manag- er for the tribe. The creek likely is starved for gravel because it is cut off from hills on the north side of the watershed – a prime source of rock – by a railroad that runs the length of the creek valley. “Several small streams that had carried gravel to the main channel can’t now because the culverts under the railroad bed E. O’Connell are too small,” Konovsky said. Scott Steltzner, a habitat biologist with the Squaxin Island Tribe, inspects gravel that is supplementing salmon The natural production of the habitat on Skookum Creek. creek can be restored temporar- ily with gravel brought in from spawn. Squaxin Tribe has built dozens and maintain gravel beds, but other sources. “We should see the benefits of logjams along Little Skoo- the lack of rock in Little Skoo- The tribe dumped the gravel as soon as salmon make their kum Creek that are helping to kum Creek hampered natural along the banks of Skookum way into the creek,” said Scott create more habitat for adult accumulation.” Creek last year and is tracking Steltzner, tribal habitat biolo- and juvenile salmon. Salmon populations in south progress as it spreads through- gist. “The wood structures built Puget Sound are far smaller out the streambed. The most In addition to adding mate- along the creek provide shade than historical levels, in part immediate impact of the ad- rial where salmon can spawn, and places to hide and feed,” because of damage to stream ditional gravel has been more gravel also cools the stream. Konovsky said. “Normally they habitat. – E. O’Connell room for migrating salmon to The past few years, the would also help catch gravel

Judge Rules for Tribe in Water Withdrawal Appeal Thurston County Superior Court ruled able to quantify the environmental impacts in favor of an effort by the Squaxin Island of pumping water out of those newly drilled Fast Facts: Johns Creek Tribe to protect the Johns Creek basin. wells. The state rejected both requests, cit- The Squaxin Tribe filed suit last year ing budget constraints. ● There is solid evidence asking the state to impose a moratorium on “Every year since record keeping began that Johns Creek and its drilling new wells until the state determines in the 1950s, Johns Creek has had less and groundwater are highly whether water is available legally to supply less water, and in every one of those years, interconnected, largely because those wells. more wells have been drilled in the basin,” the creek is located on deep Judge Paula Casey ruled that the state’s Whitener said. glacial outwash. inaction was “arbitrary and capricious.” The state set minimum flows in 1984, but ● Johns Creek is fed mostly by “We’re elated that the court took a step to since then more than 200 “permit-exempt” groundwater. protect Johns Creek,” said Andy Whitener, wells have been drilled in the Johns Creek ● An alternative water supply the tribe’s natural resources director. “But basin. The state allows these wells to be is available from the city our mission will not be accomplished until drilled without obtaining a permit first and of Shelton via a soon-to-be state agencies take concrete actions to in- to withdraw up to 5,000 gallons a day. completed water pipeline crease stream flow and benefit salmon.” “While we seek cooperation first in all of constructed by the local public The tribe petitioned the state Department our natural resources management efforts, utility district. of Ecology twice in two years to stop new there are times when we must go to court to water withdrawals in the Johns Creek basin protect our culture and treaty rights,” Whit- until enough scientific information is avail- ener said. – E. O’Connell

12 Tribe Maps Eelgrass Beds With Video The Jamestown S’Klallam Lohna O’Rourke, the tribe’s Tribe hopes that trolling an environmental biologist. underwater video camera in Juvenile salmon depend on Sequim Bay will help reveal eelgrass as a place to feed and the health of the bay’s eelgrass hide from predators as they and its habitat. make their way to the ocean. The camera, attached to the Eelgrass habitat is affected by bottom of a research vessel, upland activities such as leaky Brandon’D II, is lowered into septic systems and lawn fertil- the water until it hovers just a izers. An excess of nutrients few inches above the bay floor. in the water can cause algae The boat then trolls the bay, re- blooms, which shade eelgrass cording everything in view. and prevent growth. When the Marine Resources Consul- blooms die off, they are decom- tants, the company conducting posed by bacteria that consume RoyalT. the survey, will later analyze oxygen in the process. Fish and Port Gamble S’Klallam habitat biologist Hans Daubenberger lowers a SONAR device into Port Gamble Bay. the video, later mapping where shellfish need oxygen to sur- eelgrass and seaweed are pres- vive. If they can’t escape the ent, along with other parameters low dissolved oxygen areas, that will provide a baseline that they die. SONAR Fills Gaps can be used to detect changes This project is an impor- over time. tant part of the tribe’s Sequim “The idea with the underwa- Bay water quality monitoring inThe NearshorePort Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Survey is using a torpedo- ter survey is to see what’s here project. Since 2009, the tribe shaped SONAR device to assess the nearshore environ- now, how eelgrass and seaweed has been monitoring nitrogen ment in Hood Canal and . may be impacted over time, and phosphorus levels, nutri- The purpose of the study is three-fold – to prioritize and what steps may need to be ents that promote marine plant nearshore habitat restoration projects; to determine where taken if we see problems,” said growth. – T. Royal species are living throughout Puget Sound waters; and to learn more about habitat conditions in the nearshore en- Jamestown S’Klallam environmental biologist Lohna O’Rourke records vironment. images of eelgrass taken by an underwater camera. T. Royal Since May, the tribe has been beach seining, tow- netting and using the underwater SONAR device weekly to gather information about the size and population of fish found in the top 15 feet of the water column. That includes species such as chinook, coho, steelhead, cutthroat and herring. Puget Sound chinook and steelhead are listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act. “Beach seining and tow-netting help get a snapshot of what’s out there, but those tools miss the wide open areas that the SONAR can cover,” said Hans Daubenberger, the tribe’s habitat biologist. “It gathers tons of that informa- tion – such as the depth the fish are swimming – without hurting the fish.” The “torpedo” is towed behind a boat through sam- pling areas and beams sound waves that capture images of fish that swim past. The SONAR information will be correlated with data from beach seining and tow-netting to create a comprehensive database of fish distribution, abundance and health conditions throughout Hood Canal and Admiralty Inlet. Funding for the project comes from the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and Puget Sound Partnership. – T. Royal

13 K. Neumeyer (2) Chinook salmon are raised at the Stillaguamish Carlin McAuley of Manchester Research Station ultrasounds a chinook salmon with Stillaguamish Tribe’s hatchery. biologist Charlotte Scofield to determine if it has matured and is ready to spawn.

BroodstockThe Stillaguamish Tribe’s Raisedcally distinct from tosummer Save chi- partments, Threatened called “fish condos,” for the tribe.Chinook captive juvenile fall chinook nook, which primarily use the until they are large enough to “With these first captive soon will have a new home. The North Fork. A hatchery program move to a larger space. brood fish, we are learning how tribe has converted an old trout has been in place in the North In August, fisheries biologist to raise, monitor and hold wild farm into a hatchery facility at Fork for more than 20 years, Carlin McAuley from the fed- chinook salmon from infancy to Brenner Creek on the South with about 1,500 summer chi- eral Manchester Research Sta- old age and death,” he added. Fork Stillaguamish River. nook returning each year. tion visited the Harvey Creek “We have never tried this The tribe expects the Brenner Stillaguamish fall chinook hatchery to ultrasound the 2008 before with the Stillaguamish fish hatchery to be completed by comparison have declined fish to see if any of them had Tribe’s hatchery program and it by the end of the year. The tribe to fewer than 100 fish – so few matured enough to spawn. will help us ramp up a full-scale has been rearing the fall juve- that there aren’t enough adult Three fish, likely males, had captive brood program to try nile chinook from the brood chinook in the South Fork to matured. and keep South Fork fall-timed years between 2008 and 2010 capture and use for broodstock. “We will learn about how chinook from going extinct.” at its Harvey Creek Hatchery. For three years, tribal natural long it takes them to fully ripen – K. Neumeyer Fall chinook, which mostly resources staff have been sein- up and how long they will last (A video of this project can be rear and spawn in the South ing for juvenile fall chinook, before dying,” said Kip Kil- viewed at go.nwifc.org/12c.) Fork Stillaguamish, are geneti- which they raise in small com- lebrew, enhancement biologist

Upper Skagit Tribe UpgradesThe Waste Upper Skagit Filtration Tribe is ideal for the Plant small community upgrading its wastewater treat- of the Upper Skagit Indian ment from several large septic Tribe’s reservation on Helmick systems to an advanced sew- Road, which has been relying age filtration system. The new on septic drainfields for more wastewater treatment plant will than 20 years. serve the existing 76 homes “The members of this com- and eight community facilities, munity have been waiting for as well as meet future growth years for their wastewater treat- plans. ment to be updated,” said Lau- The tribe is installing tech- ren Rich, environmental plan- nology from Orenco Systems, ner for the Upper Skagit Tribe. using textile sheets to filter ef- Well-functioning wastewater fluent in an oxygen-rich envi- treatment facilities protect pub- ronment where naturally occur- lic health and the natural en- ring microorganisms remove vironment. Failing septic sys- impurities. The treated effluent tems can lead to groundwater will be returned harmlessly to contamination. Waste also can Dan Tolliver, Upper Skagit Tribe the environment through rapid make its way to the surface if A crew installs a wastewater treatment facility on the Upper Skagit infiltration basins. soil loses its capacity to absorb reservation, replacing a more than 20-year-old septic system. This method of wastewater effluent. – K. Neumeyer treatment is economical and

14 Makah Tribe Bull and Calf Collars Reveal Elk Herd Health Bull elk on the north Olympic Peninsula are surviving today at roughly the same rate as they did in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ac- cording to early results of a two-year study. The Makah Tribe is halfway through the second year of a bull and calf elk survival study to update data gathered in the 1980s. “We want to be sure enough mature branch- antlered bulls and spikes are making it through each year to maintain a healthy population,” said Rob McCoy, the tribe’s wildlife division manager. Last year, the tribe implanted 20 bulls with radio transmitters; 21 more were implanted this spring. “Approximately 25 percent of the bulls im- planted last year survived hunting and natural predators,” McCoy said. If that holds true for a second year, McCoy is confident that the har- vest rates will assure healthy herds along with the hunting opportunity. Elk calf survival also is a good indicator of herd health. Of 40 calves given radio col- lars last year, half of them survived, which is enough for the herd to thrive. “Cougars are really the only calf predator we documented,” McCoy said. “Deer fawns have multiple predators, such as coyotes, bears, bobcats and cougar.” D. Preston (2) Above: Rob McCoy, wildlife division manager for the Makah Tribe, and wildlife biologist A second group of 34 elk calves were col- Shannon Murphy weigh a radio-collared elk calf. Below: A bull elk prepares to run off lared this spring and the results of their surviv- after waking from a tranquilizer that was used while biologists placed a small radio al will be factored into the study. Calf survival transmitter in its stomach. rates combined with cow survival rates indi- cate whether an elk population is growing. A three-year Administration for Native Americans Environmental Regulatory En- hancement grant through the Department of Health and Human Services helped pay for the study. Volunteers from KBH Archers of Bremerton assisted with the captures along with Makah tribal members and wildlife bi- ologists from other tribes, and personnel from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. – D. Preston

15 Walking On

Robert Joe Sr. Wa-Walton Swinomish tribal leader Robert “Wa- Robert was elected into the Swinomish Walton” Joe Sr. passed away June 21. He was Senate and served for 25 years. In 1978 he 76. was elected tribal chairman and served for 18 He was born Feb. 16, 1935 to Andrew and years. Louise (John) Joe. Robert attended school in Robert is survived by his son, Robert Joe, the La Conner School District and graduated Jr., many sisters, brothers, grandchildren and with the class of 1954. great-grandchildren. He was a fisherman in Alaska. In Washing- He was preceded in death by his parents and ton state he ran the Bober and the Betty Jean Mary Helen Cagey whom he called “Mom,” boats. He joined the Swinomish Smokehouse godmother Laura Wilbur, sister Vivian Joe and in 1985. granddaughter Jamie Joe. Clifford Elvin Bengston Cliff Bengston, biologist and hatchery man- versity of Washington College of Fisheries. ager with the Tulalip Tribes from 1976-2002, Cliff was one of the first tribal biologists in passed away peacefully at his home on Tulalip the Boldt case area and was manager of the Bay Aug. 9. Tulalip Tribes’ Bernie Kai-Kai Gobin Hatchery He was born July 24, 1940 in Seattle, but from its founding in 1982 until his retirement the family moved to Monroe while Cliff was in in 2002. After his retirement, he continued to grade school. After high school, Cliff worked work part time for the tribe as an adviser. as a logger in the northern California red- He is survived by his wife, Kit Paulsen, sister woods, a printer for Boeing in Seattle, then an Sandy Bloor, and brothers Ed and Don Bengs- industrial photographer for the Applied Phys- ton, as well as many nieces and nephews. ics Laboratory. He graduated from the Uni- Clayton D. Finkbonner Clayton D. Finkbonner, 61, of Lummi, passed children, father and siblings. away July 9. Clayton was born in Bellingham to Clayton was preceded in death by his moth- Richard and Marlene Finkbonner. er, Marlene; brother Brian and grandparents. Clayton was passionate about economic de- He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Sandy; velopment for Lummi. He worked on projects children Shannon and Brooke, Coreen and such as the Lummi Mini Mart, Lummi Casino, Marc, Amy, and Casey and Nichole; grand- Gooseberry Point, Lummi Fish Co. and most children Jalissa, Ariana, Phoenyx, Kingston recently, the Gateway Center. and Chevelle; father Richard “Bronk”; brother He served on the Lummi Fisheries Commis- Rick; sisters Karen (Rick) and Jan (David); and sion and was a commercial fisherman in the numerous other relatives. for many years with his wife,