North Olympic Peninsula Watershed Page

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• For Salmon and Habitat Information Resources, click here

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DRAFT, last updated 2/4/05

Quillayute Basin Watershed Page – WRIA 20, Tier 1

A. Watershed Information:

1. General Watershed Description: This basin contains about 750 linear miles of streams (Phinney and Bucknell 1975), and is often discussed in terms of its four major drainages: the Dickey, Soleduck, Bogachiel, and Calawah Rivers. The Quillayute River proper is a broad, low-gradient river, and extends for 5.6 miles in the lowest reaches of the basin. The confluence of the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers is located at RM 5.6, with the Dickey River entering the Quillayute River at RM 1.6. Land ownership around the Quillayute River includes the Olympic National Park, the Quileute Indian Tribe, and a few scattered farmowners. WRIA 20 Limiting Factors Analysis, p. 22.
   The Quillayute basin is the largest basin in WRIA 20. It consists of four major subbasins: the Dickey, Soleduck, Calawah, and Bogachiel. Each sub-basin has unique
   habitat characteristics and problems, but all eventually drain into a significantly altered estuary. The estuary is regularly dredged, and has armored and diked banks. Estuarine habitat is extremely limited within WRIA 20, and the Quillayute estuary is the largest estuary in the WRIA. It is near known surf smelt (salmonid food item) spawning grounds and kelp and eelgrass habitat, important for salmonid rearing. Many upstream habitat problems are translated to the estuary and near shore habitat. Of particular concern are increased sedimentation and water flows. The increased flows are likely a result of several upstream problems, notably incised channels, reduced levels of LWD, and a loss of hydrologic maturity. From WRIA 20 Limiting Factors Analysis, p. 9.
2. Hatchery impacts: See Table 4. Current Hatchery Information
3. Stakeholders:
4. Tier explanation (from NOPLE Salmon Habitat Recovery Strategy): See Prioritized Watersheds in NOPLE Strategy
5. Bibliography:
   • NOPLE Salmon Habitat Recovery Strategy
   • QUILLAYUTE RIVER NAVIGATION PROJECT; Habitat Evaluation Using Aerial Photo Analysis, dated April 15, 2001.
   • NOPLE Summary Limiting Factors for Quillayute Basin
   • Technical Assessment Level I
   • WRIA 20 Limiting Factor Analysis, throughout
   • WRIA 20 Watershed Planning
   • WDFW SalmonScape maps
   • WRIA 20 Department of Ecology resources
   • Clallam County Comprehensive Plan
   • Streamkeepers of Clallam County
   • State of the Waters of Clallam County, 2004 at pp. 20-25
   • Clallam County critical area maps
   • Clallam County, Quillayute

B. Salmon Habitat Recovery Priorities:

1. Salmonid stocks & their status. The following salmonid stocks occur in this watershed. For more info about these stocks, click here.
   • Summer and Fall Chinook
   • Fall Chum
   • Coastal Cutthroat
   • Summer and Winter Steelhead
2. Priority salmon stocks. Recovery efforts will be focused on the following salmonid stocks for the stated reasons:
3. Priority Limiting Watershed Process & Habitat Features: See Major Limiting Factors for Quillayute Mainstem.
4. Major actions to protect and improve: Click here for Quillayute Basin Project Prioritization, dated 2001.
5. Priority actions and areas: Click here for Quillayute Basin Project Prioritization, dated 2001.
6. Community issues: Click here for Quillayute Basin Project Prioritization, dated 2001.

C. Recovery Projects:

D. Monitoring:

• Washington Department of Ecology
• WDOE 303(d) Map
• Streamkeepers of Clallam County

E. Emerging Issues: