Nisqually River Watershed

• Chinook – threatened

• Coho – low

• Pink - variable

• Chum - healthy

• Steelhead - threatened

• Cutthroat Trout - unknown

Nisqually Salmon Species

Long Term Goals for Nisqually River Fall Chinook

• Healthy local population of Nisqually Chinook capable of reproducing successfully in the local habitat

• Continued harvest opportunity for tribal and non-tribal fishermen

• Nisqually Tribe designated as lead for salmon recovery by the

Nisqually River Watershed Council

•Tribe led group of local technical and citizen experts using scientific information to

develop the plan.

• Submitted to the regional Puget Sound Chinook

Endangered Species Recovery Plan in 2005

• adopted as part of official plan by the federal govt. in 2007

Nisqually River Salmon Recovery Planning

Nisqually Chinook RecoveryPlan

August 2001

Prepared by the

Nisqually Chinook Recovery Team

• Habitat

• Hatchery

• Harvest

• Adaptive Management

Nisqually Chinook Recovery Plan

Nisqually Chinook RecoveryPlan

August 2001

Prepared by the

Nisqually Chinook Recovery Team

Nisqually IndianTribe

•Counties•Cities•State agencies•Federal agencies•Nisqually Tribe •Local organizations•Watershed citizens

Formed in 1987

Estuary restoration

Ohop and Mashelrestoration

Nisqually Salmon Habitat Protection and Restoration

Nisqually MainstemProtection

Estuary Land Ownership

Estuary Habitat Condition

• Main loss of habitat due to diking and conversion to pastureland

• About half of original estuary was converted to pasture and freshwater wetland behind the dikes

Estuary Restoration

Summer 2006

Source: NAIP

July 2009

Source: USGS

December 2009

Source: USGS

March 2010

Source: USGS

Estuary restoration

Ohop and Mashelrestoration

Nisqually Salmon Habitat Protection and Restoration

Nisqually MainstemProtection

Nisqually Mainstem

Protected Lands1989: 3 percent2010: 73 percent

Estuary restoration

Ohop and Mashelrestoration

Nisqually Salmon Habitat Protection and Restoration

Nisqually MainstemProtection

Lower Ohop project

Lower Mashelproject

Eatonville Mashelproject

Habitat Condition: Ohop Creek

• Lower 4 miles ditched, straightened

• Forest and wetland vegetation cleared from valley floor

• Upper 2 miles good spawning areas, narrow band of trees along stream

Ohop Creek Restoration Initiative•Remeander 3.5 miles of ditched stream into 5 miles of restored stream•Revegetate over 400 acres of valley floor

Nisqually Indian Tribe

Eatonville Mashel Project

Needs: • More large wood in

stream• Deeper pools • Sorted gravel• Less confined stream

channel• More sidechannel

wetlands• More mature conifers

Mashel River restoration

Nisqually Indian Tribe

Eatonville - Boxcar Canyon

Eatonville Mashel homeowner rain garden installation

Nisqually Watershed Knotweed Control Project

Knotweed bending party in Ashford

•Pierce Conservation District•Nisqually Tribe•Thurston County Noxious Weed Board•Lewis County Noxious Weed Board•Pierce County Noxious Weed Board•Tacoma Public Utilities•US Fish and Wildlife Service•Nisqually Wildlife Refuge•Joint Base Lewis-McChord•Gifford Pinchot National Forest•Mt. Rainier National Park