Elwha River Vegetation Enhancement

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe treated the former Elwha reservoirs for noxious weeds and conducted revegetation enhancement plantings with 20,000 native conifers, 5,000 shrubs and 4,000 deciduous lives-stakes (all Elwha seed-sourced) in order to strengthen the riparian areas of the former reservoirs (aka the two dam-remnant lakebeds). The removal of two dams on the Elwha River in 2011-2014 left two former reservoirs drained and barren and the restoration performed under this project helped fill some needed gaps and maintain progress on noxious weed control in a recovering ecosystem. There were 500 collective riparian acres treated for noxious weeds, an additional 365 riparian acres surveyed for noxious weeds, and 20 miles of Elwha River streambank treated for noxious weeds and riparian enhancement planting where vegetation was sparse. Areas around these planting sites and adjacent lands were treated for invasive plant species, and overall invasive plant species declined throughout the project. The restorative vegetation management actions performed under this project improved salmon habitat for the recovering salmonid populations on the Elwha River that have been re-bounding since dam removal. Several LEKT staff worked on the project with the help of Washington Conservation Corps crews, tribal summer youth, students, and volunteers. There were nine volunteer education/outreach working parties hosted for this project and many youth and volunteers that came out to help plant and perform noxious weed control while learning about riparian habitat restoration, salmon, agency collaboration, tribal treaty rights, grant funding, and dam removal.

Our overall mission at LEKT is to support the rebuilding of salmon populations in the Elwha. Our main goals with this project are: 1. Create forested islands. Currently our instream islands are lacking vegetation especially conifers. Forested island morphologies are maintained by vegetation communities which provide stable points which accelerate the formation of side channels, pools and bars which are the favored habitats of Pacific Salmon at all life stages. 2. Create a future source of wood for the Elwha through targeted conifer planting. Currently there is little wood available through natural fluvial process, but conifer planting will help ensure a future source wood. 3. Restore and enhance a functioning riparian habitat by focusing on riparian planting. The river has established stable riparian areas where the vegetation communities are largely a mix of herbaceous species and bare ground spots. 4. Contribute to side channel complexity with addition of vegetation on newly formed side channels. Both adult and rearing life stages use side channel habitat. 5. Help restore natural temperature regime. Planting riparian vegetation will contribute to shade on the river and help establish natural temperatures acceptable for pacific salmon. 6. Reduce or eliminate invasive weed threats. Invasive weed treatments will reduce competition for the native plant communities 7. Build climate change resiliency. All of these actions help contribute to climate change resiliency.