Lower Elwha FY 2021 Deep Creek Wood Restoration

This project placed 150 pieces of large wood and 60 rock collars at 3 sites between river mile 3.0-3.5 in Deep Creek, an independent tributary to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Wood was placed as channel spanning logjams in the reach, which has suffered channel incision impacts from historic land use practices. Wood placement was designed to slow stream velocities through the reach resulting in gravel deposition, channel aggradation and floodplain reconnection. Accumulated gravels will be utilized for spawning and complex pools will provide habitat for juvenile salmonids especially coho, steelhead and cutthroat trout.

This project will restore spawning and rearing habitat in a 0.5 mile reach of Deep Creek. We will use project funds to contract a heavy lift helicopter to place large wood and rock collars in Deep Creek, a Strait of Juan de Fuca tributary. Deep Creek supports populations of Pacific salmon including coho, chum steelhead and cutthroat trout. Deep Creek is also an Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) for the state of Washington. Restoration in Deep Creek dates back to the 1990s and this proposal targets a difficult to access reach between river mile 3.0-3.5.