After investing millions of dollars to restore the Skokomish estuary, the Skokomish Tribe is monitoring the habitat to measure its success.
The tribe purchased and restored nearly 400 acres in the estuary starting in 2007, after the property operated as a farm and a private hunting club for nearly 80 years.
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“Salmon need estuaries to grow,” said Lisa Belleveau, the tribe’s habitat biologist. “If they don’t have a healthy estuary to grow in before they head out to the ocean, their likelihood of being able to survive ocean conditions and return as adults is low.”
The tribe monitors 15 sites throughout the estuary and at reference marshes, observing the plants present, salinity levels in the soil, and how the estuary has increased or decreased in elevation according to the height of the sediment.
“Sediment helps build elevation that creates an environment capable of sup-porting salt marsh vegetation,” Belleveau said.
The biggest takeaway has been how fast things have changed and adapted in the estuary, she said. After the first four years of monitoring, by 2015 the estuary vegetation had started to resemble adjacent reference marshes and continues to do so, she said.
As for salmon, data shows that fish are using the restoration areas, said Kevin Swager, the tribe’s finfish biologist. “We do find most of the salmonid species in those areas in the estuary,” he said.
Skokomish habitat biologist Lisa Belleveau, left, and habitat technician Shae Holy monitor vegetation growth and sediment deposit in the Skokomish estuary. Stories and photos: Tiffany Royal
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