South Sound Inlets Pocket Estuary Assessment

The pocket estuary database as well as information included in the WRIA 13 and 14 juvenile salmonid nearshore project selection tool (NPST) were used to devise a habitat based pocket estuary focused restoration and conservation strategy for Oakland Bay as well as Hammersley and Budd Inlets. Nearshore drainage catchments were identified and rated for level of development and human disturbance using the NOAA C-CAP development database. Where catchments with similar ratings were contiguous landscape based strategies for: conservation, restoration, enhancement, and creation were crafted. The information generated is being used by policy level personnel, planners, and on the ground restoration and conservation groups to rank and identify actions in a landscape context.

In Oakland Bay and Hammersley Inlets a biologist and GIS analyst applied the information obtained from the shoreline inventories to devise strategies. 210 nearshore and upland catchments were identified. 18 pocket estuaries were identified and rated as 4 functional, 7 at risk and 7 non-functioning. Ten priority juvenile salmon Shorezone shorelines were applied using the Nearshore Project Selection Tool. Six of these shorelines were prioritized for conservation and 2 for restoration. 46 discrete projects were identified and laid over the landscape based strategies within the catchments.

In Budd inlet a biologist and GIS analyst applied the information obtained from the ongoing shoreline inventory to devise shoreline based strategies. 168 nearshore and upland catchments were identified and rated for conservation, restoration or habitat creation. 128 discrete projects were identified and laid over the strategies for each of these catchments.

Previous efforts in the nearshore have focused on identifying individual projects. The goal of this exercise is to provide decision makers with explicit project level information that is in a landscape/inlet context. This will help ensure that projects selected have a high likelihood of success and are self maintaining over the long term.
The information generated will provide a strategy to policy level personnel, planners, and on the ground restoration and conservation groups to rank and identify actions in a landscape context.