Lower Chimacum Creek Mainstem Acquisitions & Rest.

Jefferson Land Trust and WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife are seeking to acquire and restore up to 3.0 acres of at-risk Chimacum Creek mainstem, instream, and forested riparian habitat located in Port Hadlock in Jefferson County. The lower mainstem of Chimacum Creek has been a conservation priority of many partners for the last 30 years in the effort to restore the Hood Canal summer chum population that was extirpated in the 1980s. Partners have already permanently protected upwards of 150 acres within river mile 2, and these project properties offer a stellar opportunity to fill in necessary gaps. Two of the properties include steep slopes that have been subject to erosion and will be enhanced and stabilized by conifer and shrub underplanting and removal of invasive species that are impacting forest health. The third property will be protected by a conservation easement to protect over 500ft of instream habitat. The overall goal of the project is to protect these properties that are currently located in an urban growth area and restore them so as to eliminate the risk that they are currently posing to a recovering summer chum spawning habitat.

Our goal is to permanently preserve these Chimacum Creek parcels and replant the riparian habitat with appropriate native species to control erosion and siltation in the prime Summer chum spawning area. Acquiring these properties in fee-simple (or mix of fee-simple and conservation easement) will ensure that the identified problem of landowner and neighborhood dumping will not continue. Jefferson Land Trust and/or WDFW will fence off the property once protected in response to the history of regular dumping. Underplanting the riparian area with native conifers and shrubs will ensure that the identified problem of erosion and deposit of fine sediments will be reduced over time. All salmonid species listed in this application (summer chum, pink, coho, fall chum, and winter steelhead) will benefit from clean water, shaded riparian corridor, and a reduction in fine sediment deposits.