FY22 JSKT Dungeness Salmonid Recovery and Riparian Habitat Restoration Planning and Coordination

JSTs habitat and environmental planning programs continued to develop and assist partners on projects to advance salmon recovery within our U&A. [Note: The start date for JST worksite was Nov 2023; and for PNPTC worksite it was Jan 2024.



[Worksite: JST NR Offices]

1) Planning necessary in designing riparian, floodplain, in-stream, and nearshore habitat restoration/protection projects benefitting ESA-listed salmon species:

Staff continued to coordinate floodplain/riparian restoration projects, per our prioritized land protection strategies. We continued to seek fee-simple land acquisitions to permanently conserve high value riparian/floodplain habitats and allow for needed restoration of those that are degraded. This included due diligence such as making contact with landowners and cultural resource investigations.

[Worktype: Coordination on implementing recovery plan] [Note: This task covered planning aspects of Project ID 2022-JSKT-04]



This task also included professional services related to obtaining aerial images and orthophotography for use in planning restoration projects and assessing riparian habitat changes over time. Note that the orthophoto project was largely paid for by non-project funds, but PCSRF assisted. In addition, PCSRF supported additional aerial imagery of some of the Tribes existing restoration projects, as well as our Dungeness drought response (low-flow mitigation) projects.

[Worktype: Habitat survey/use of remote sensing]



2) Providing tech assistance to partners designing/implementing riparian, floodplain, in-stream, nearshore habitat projects benefitting ESA-listed salmon species:

Tech assistance to restoration groups targeted key factors limiting salmonid productivity, including low flows, undesirable channel morphology, and other habitat impairments.

[Worktype: Evaluation/analyses of restoration projects]



3) Coordinating activities related to advancing ESA-listed salmonid recovery/watershed restoration and considering climate change.

a) JST continued to co-lead our watershed council and its Exec Committee; evaluate salmon recovery projects, including culvert replacements; and coordinate on planning and implementing a 2024 drought response strategy with irrigators, Washington Water Trust and the Department of Ecology. The Tribe participated in several meetings related to the potential Dungeness Off Channel Reservoir and provided comments relevant to preliminary OCR designs and water budget forecasting related to potential impacts on salmon.

[Worktypes: Coordination on implementing Chinook/ Steelhead Recovery Plans; Evaluation/analyses of restoration projects.]



[Worksite: Point-No-Point Treaty Council Offices]

b) This task also included salmon recovery planning/ assessment activities appointed by JST to PNPTC. PNPTC efforts extended our salmonid recovery capacity by: 1) assisting in riparian salmonid habitat protection/restoration planning; 2) refining/implementing the ESA-listed PS Steelhead Recovery Plan and implementing Hood Canal/Strait of Juan de Fuca Summer Chum Salmon Recovery Plan through adaptive management; 3) designing projects addressing factors limiting the productivity/viability of ESA-listed Pacific anadromous salmonids, 4) using climate-related streamflow/stream temp models to identify vulnerabilities to salmon habitat; and, 5) participating in other recovery forums, processes, initiatives focused on improving salmonid productivity/viability in the region.

[Worktypes: Coordination on implementing Recovery Plan (Chinook, Steelhead); Evaluation/analyses of restoration projects.}



[Worksite: Big Quilcene R - added in Jan-June 2024 reporting period]

The Tribe continued providing planning and extensive technical/permitting assistance to the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group related to elements of the Lower Bi

This project continues to provide capacity support so that the Tribe’s Habitat Program and Environmental Planning Program staff may continue habitat restoration planning efforts largely aimed at riparian and floodplain restoration. Floodplain reconnection is the Tribe’s (as well as the Dungeness River Management Team’s) highest priority for increasing salmonid spawning and rearing habitat, and for reducing the potential for high flood events to scour salmon redds, projected to be more frequent with climate change, particularly in river reaches constrained by hard armoring or dikes. Treaty Council efforts allow us to extend our planning and coordinating capacity to regional efforts.



Targeted ESU or species –

Species of particular concern include ESA-listed: Puget Sound Chinook, Puget Sound steelhead and Hood Canal and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca summer chum; plus, pink salmon, and bull trout (char).