2011 The Chehalis Basin Salmon Habitat Restoration and Preservation Strategy for WRIA 22 and 23 John M. Kliem and Deborah A. Holden Creative Community Solutions, Inc. 6/30/2011 The Chehalis Basin Salmon Habitat Restoration and Preservation Strategy for WRIA 22 and 23 Prepared by Grays Harbor County Lead Entity Habitat Work Group With Assistance by Lee Napier, Lead Entity Coordinator, Grays Harbor County John Kliem & Deborah A. Holden, Creative Community Solutions, Inc. Updated June 30, 2011 i Acknowledgements This document would not have been possible without the assistance of the following people: April Boe Gavin Glore Bob Amrine Tom Gibbons Bob Metzger Glen Connelly Brett Demond Jamie Glasgow Brian Abbot Jason Lundgren Bob Burkle Rick Johnson Chad Stussy Janel Spaulding Chanele Holbrook Shaw Lonnie Crumley Chris Conklin Mike Kuttel Craig Swanson Miranda Plumb Dave Kloempken Roberta Davenport Eric Delvin i Contents Contents ................................................................................................................. i Introduction to the Strategy ................................................................................ 1 Section 1: Goals for Salmon Habitat Projects & Activities ................................ 3 Section 2: A Salmonid Profile for the Chehalis Basin ........................................ 7 Introduction ................................................................................................... 7 Section 3: Subbasin Profiles .............................................................................. 58 Black River Management Unit .................................................................... 69 Black River .......................................................................................... 69 Porter Creek ....................................................................................... 73 Boistfort Management Unit ......................................................................... 76 Upper Chehalis River ......................................................................... 76 South Fork Chehalis River .................................................................. 83 Lake Creek ......................................................................................... 86 Stillman Creek .................................................................................... 88 Chehalis Mainstem Management Unit ...................................................... 91 Mainstem Chehalis River ................................................................... 91 Cloquallum Management Unit .................................................................. 95 Cloquallum Creek ............................................................................. 95 Grays Harbor Estuary Management Unit ................................................. 100 Grays Harbor Estuary ....................................................................... 100 Hoquiam-Wishkah Management Unit ..................................................... 104 Hoquiam River ................................................................................. 104 Wishkah River ................................................................................... 109 i Humptulips Management Unit ................................................................. 113 Humptulips River .............................................................................. 113 Lincoln Management Unit ........................................................................ 120 Lincoln Creek ................................................................................... 120 Independence Creek ..................................................................... 124 Garrard Creek ................................................................................. 127 Gaddis Creek .................................................................................. 129 Rock/Williams Creek ....................................................................... 132 Bunker Creek ................................................................................... 135 Scammon, Mill, and Stearns Creeks............................................... 138 Newaukum Management Unit ................................................................ 141 Newaukum River ............................................................................. 141 Salzer Creek ..................................................................................... 150 Coal Creek....................................................................................... 153 Dillenbaugh Creek .......................................................................... 155 Berwick Creek .................................................................................. 158 China Creek..................................................................................... 161 Satsop Management Unit ......................................................................... 164 Satsop River...................................................................................... 164 Skookumchuck Management Unit .......................................................... 176 Skookumchuck River ....................................................................... 176 Scatter Creek ................................................................................... 181 South Bay Management Unit ................................................................... 184 South Bay Tributaries ....................................................................... 184 Wynoochee Management Unit ............................................................... 188 Wynoochee River ............................................................................ 188 ii Section 4: Guidelines for Barrier Projects ....................................................... 195 Section 5: Invasive Species Project Guidelines ............................................ 199 Section 6: Guidelines for Small Tributaries ...................................................... 208 Section 7: Other Lead Entity Management Actions .................................... 210 Section 8: Community Interests and Concerns ............................................. 216 Section 9: Implementing the Strategy through the Salmon Recovery Grant Program .................................................................................................. 219 Section 10: Conceptual Projects – Habitat Work Schedule ........................ 230 Conceptual Project Lists ........................................................................... 230 Developing the Conceptual Project inventory ...................................... 231 Managing & Prioritizing Conceptual Projects ............................... 235 Appendix A: A Policy Framework for Salmonid Habitat Restoration in the Chehalis Basin ................................................................................................... 237 Appendix B: Results of Citizen Survey Chehalis River Festival September 10, 2009 .............................................................................................................. 243 References ........................................................................................................ 248 Tables Table 1: Overview of Known Salmonids with SaSI Ratings in WRIA 22 & 23 ..8 Table 2: Common limiting factors in WRIA 22-23 and their impact to physical processes and salmon. .....................................................................61 Figures Figure 1: Relationships between controls, processes, habitat effects ........... 60 Figure 2: Viable Salmonid Population Parameters .......................................... 66 Figure 3: Chehalis Basin Subbasins ................................................................... 68 iii Introduction to the Strategy The Chehalis Basin Salmon Habitat Restoration and Preservation Strategy is the Lead Entity strategy for providing guidance to project planners and funding agencies in developing, evaluating, and implementing salmon habitat restoration and protection actions within Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA) 22 and 23. The Strategy relies on nine sections to achieve this purpose. The first section, Goals for Salmon Habitat Restoration and Protection, outline the guiding thought process involved in developing the document. Building on these goals are Sections 2 and 3: A Salmonid Profile for the Chehalis Basin and Subbasin Profiles. These two sections provide direction in determining the sequence of habitat restoration and protection projects and activities within WRIA 22-23 by identifying priority stocks and priority actions that benefit them. Section 4, Guidelines for Barrier Projects, was created to assist project sponsors develop barrier removal projects and help the habitat work group evaluate projects brought for consideration. Section 5, Invasive Species, identifies invasive flora and fauna species found in the Chehalis River Basin, discusses management goals together with management actions. This section provides additional resources to assist project sponsors. Section 6, Managing the Salmon Habitat Restoration Process, is an adaptive management piece that outlines intended future actions of the Lead Entity as it continues towards accomplishing its Strategy goals. The mechanics of developing, funding, and implementing specific projects is the focus of Sections 7 and 8. The first section, Project Development, How to Prepare a Proposal, Project Selection,