SEKIU — The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and Rayonier have proposed a partnership to restore salmon habitat on the Hoko River in the North Olympic Peninsula.
The project would add nearly 2 miles of salmon habitat to the river, in conjunction with the Elwha River restoration project that is expected to add 70 miles of salmon habitat.
The 25-mile-long Hoko River empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the Hoko River State Park, 4 miles west of Sekiu.
Replacing a 7-foot corrugated steel culvert with a bridge would remove the last major human-made barrier to letting fish spawn in the Hoko River watershed, said Cheryl Baumann, coordinator of the North Olympic Peninsula Lead Entity for Salmon.
The state-run salmon organization has a little less than $1 million in grant funds to distribute for local salmon habit restoration.
Baumann said the project would benefit chinook, chum, coho, cutthroat and steelhead salmon.
The Hoko River project managers are requesting $370,000 in funding for the project.
Another $200,000 in matching dollars would be provided by the Lower Elwha and Rayonier, she said.
“They are required to make a 35 percent match but are offering a 50 percent match,” Baumann said.
The culvert, located on private timberland, has a 7-foot drop to the creek below, which prevents adult salmon from accessing the upper river.
Replacing the 1950s-era culvert with a bridge would give salmon access to 10,050 feet of additional habitat in the river and also would increase movement of sediment and wood, Baumann said.
The Lead Entity for Salmon board of directors visited the site April 11 to prepare for a May 8 meeting, during which the Hoko River and six other projects will be considered.
The board makes decisions on which high-priority salmon restoration projects are forwarded for funding from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.
In December 2011, the Lead Entity for Salmon received $4 million in funding for projects related to the Elwha River restoration, as well as projects on Salt Creek, Twin Rivers and Coal Creek.
Projects proposed for 2012 funding include:
— Phase II design for pier removal along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and near the Twin River proposed by state Department of Fish and Wildlife, working in partnership with the North Olympic Land Trust and Coastal Watershed Institute.
– Final design of the Pysht River Estuary Restoration Project proposed by Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, working in partnership with Merrill & Ring.
– Phase III of Dungeness River irrigation group piping proposed by the Clallam Conservation District to keep more water in the Dungeness River.
– Dungeness River instream flow restoration and storage, proposed by the Washington Water Trust, to help conserve water and supplement late season flows.
– Proposed protection of land via a conservation easement along a Clallam River tributary sponsored by the North Olympic Land Trust.
_______
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345 ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
