Quinault Indian Nation Improving Fish Passage and Stream Habitat

Submitted by Carri Gaines, Tribal Liaison, Taholah, Washington

Photo of the bridge site and road re-route at the Camp 7 Site 1 project. The seeding and mulching for erosion control for the bridge site, was not finished when the photo was taken, but is now complete.

Salmon and steelhead are important resources for the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), both for subsistence and commercial harvest. Community gatherings or celebrations always include a variety of fish (both fin-fish and shell-fish), cooked in a multitude of ways. Because of this, the protection and enhancement of the stream habitat for fish and other aquatic species is a high priority for the Quinault people. The QIN have demonstrated their commitment to the improvement of fish habitat by enhancing their protections of riparian buffers in their 2003 Forest Management Plan, improving their riparian buffers through the use of the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and by removing failed infrastructure that creates barriers to fish passage.

Their most recent fish passage and stream habitat improvement project is the Camp 7 Site 1 road project. This is an “emergency route” road during winter storms when the main highway is closed. The road crossed a perennial stream and wetland complex, which ultimately flows into the Quinault River. The historic flow of the stream was disrupted by the road and as the stream approaches the road it is forced to take a 90 degree turn and send all of its water into a wetland and through a couple of undersized culverts which are now perched and not fish passable. Because the road was so important to the safety of the people at the north end of the reservation, each time the stream jumped its artificial banks and flowed over the road, the Bureau of Indian Affairs would repair the road and put the stream back into the artificial channel. As a result of the 90 degree turn, the stream slowed and over time dropped so much bed load that it became higher in elevation than the road. In recent years, when the stream jumped its banks, Coho were seen swimming across the road into the upper reaches of the stream to spawn. It became obvious to the QIN that the stream provided important habitat to the Coho and the road no longer provided a safe and effective emergency route.

Using the Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation planning process, and receiving cost-share assistance through WHIP and the Salmon Recovery Fund Board, the QIN was able to develop a two phase plan to open up the stream to Coho migration and also provide a safe emergency route. In phase one, the emergency road has been re-routed to higher ground and a bridge was installed at a location where the stream is stable. In phase two approximately 675 feet of road will be removed, open channels connecting the stream to the historic stream channels will be created and the wetland, which is good Coho rearing habitat, will be protected.

Phase one of the project has been successfully completed, providing a safe emergency road to the north end of the reservation. The groundwork has been set for phase two to be installed, restoring the salmon habitat so important to the Quinault.
 

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