WRIA 20 Priority Habitat Assessment, Restoration and Protection Actions

WRIA 20 Project name	Description	Targeted species/habitat	Actions/needs	Rationale	Comments
WRIA 20 Priority Assessment Needs
Juvenile salmonid use assessment	Assessment of juvenile salmonid use of nearshore regions excluding bull trout (already been done)	All salmonids juveniles/ nearshore	Juveniles use the estuaries but there is no information as to how they use the coast in between estuaries.	Very little is known, and any action needs to be preceded by assessment and data generation.	Should be first step.
Bull Trout forage assessment	Assess Bull Trout forage behavior in nearshore coastal areas	Bull Trout/ nearshore foraging habitat	There is some evidence of use.	Is ESA listed species and more needs to be known.	Only species for which there is a study that they use the coast.  Need more info.
Nearshore forage fish assessment	assessment of nearshore forage fish conditions	Forage fish			Proceed only if fish use assessment  shows salmonid use
Water quality assessment	water quality assessment of the nearshore environment to include contribution to and transport of  sedimentation loads along the coastline	Any/all salmonids			Proceed only if fish use assessment shows salmonid use
WRIA 20 Estuarine and shoreline Water Quality Assessment	Assess water quality, including toxins, of all major embayments, estuaries and shoreline other than sedimentation	Any/all salmonids	define water quality thresholds and determine water quality in estuaries and influence of water quality on shoreline, assuming assessment shows use of salmonid of shoreline	Know radiation is present from navy in dust from firing; use of upland herbicides and  mercury levels showing up in halibut	Proceed only if fish use assessment shows salmonid use
Goodman Creek Estuary Assessment	Assessment because of lack of assessment in pacific creeks	Goodman Creek is known ESA listed bull trout habitat	Goodman Creek is representative of smaller pacific creeks		Proceed only if fish use assessment shows salmonid use

WRIA 20 priority Salmonid Recovery Projects
Oil spill effects and impacts	Pre-spill assessment	Any/all salmonid use	Pre-spill assessment is crucial.  Involves extensive monitoring	There have been oil spills; oil spills are a continuing possibility
Ozette River Mouth Recovery	Resolve sedimentation impacts	Adult ESA listed Lake Ozette Sockeye	Using lydar and historical aerial photos, it has been shown that there has been significant change.  There are major sediment issues in Ozette Lake.	Sedimentation has created barriers that have allowed for an increase in predation by otters and sea lions.  Seals used to predate in lake but now they predate at mouth of river. NMML Ozette Pinniped Final Report.
Restoration of any impaired estuary		We know salmonids use estuaries	Especially on the coast, each and every estuary is an important “bead on a string”	Assuming the impairing process has been or is being resolved
Goodman Creek Estuary Protection Project	Protect Goodman Creek Estuary	ESA listed bull trout	Known ESA listed bull trout habitat
LaPush Marina restoration project	Remove creosote posts and substitute with non-creosote materials	10 runs of salmon	Creosote is a toxin that harms salmonids	FEMA used creosote posts in their marina restoration project