Author: Tiffany Royal

This author has written 325 articles

Chief Kitsap Academy students build water sensor computers

Using wires, computer chips, batteries, PVC piping, duct tape and glue, a group of students at Chief Kitsap Academy gathered data about water quality in their backyard this spring.

Working with the University of Washington, a group of nine high school students in Karen Matsumoto’s marine biology class constructed small computers with temperature probes to measure water temperature in the nearshore marine waters behind the school. (more…)

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Read more about the article Suquamish Tribe’s Doe Kag Wats estuary: Keeping good wood, removing bad wood

Suquamish Tribe’s Doe Kag Wats estuary: Keeping good wood, removing bad wood

The Suquamish Tribe’s Doe Kag Wats estuary is the site of a large woody debris removal experiment this summer.

”Our hypothesis is that by removing the excess amount of the milled and treated logs that have washed into the estuary, the native marsh vegetation will be restored, as well as insect species, many of which are important to both healthy and recovering salmon populations,” said Tom Ostrom, the tribe’s salmon recovery coordinator and project manager.

The project is two-fold: First, the tribe and the state Department of Natural Resources removed the remaining creosote pilings from the estuary. These toxic pilings have been pushed into the estuary by storms and tides for decades. (more…)

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Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, students gather data from Tumwater Creek

Lucas Verstegen, left, and Tyler Hansen, students at North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center, prep a smolt from Tumwater Creek for identification. To view more, click on the photo.
Lucas Verstegen, left, and Tyler Hansen, students at North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center, prep a smolt from Tumwater Creek for identification. To view more, click on the photo.

A group of teenage “citizen scientists” have been helping the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe this spring by studying an urban creek that hasn’t been looked at in nearly 30 years.

Students in the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center’s (NOPSC) natural resources class helped install a smolt trap on Tumwater Creek in early May. Students and volunteers check the trap daily to count and identify the fish, measure water temperature and take pictures.

“We’ve been smolt trapping fish on the Olympic Peninsula for 31 years, but this is the first time we’ve had one in Tumwater Creek,” said Kim Williams, a tribal natural resources technician. “Tumwater Creek is historically known to have a salmon run, but currently we have no fish data after 1991 for this stream.” (more…)

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Suquamish Seafoods builds new office, processing facility

The Suquamish Tribe has constructed a new seafood plant to increase the variety of products offered to consumers.

“With the new plant, we have the ability to deliver fresh clams, crab and salmon to our commercial customers,” said Suquamish Seafoods general manager Tony Forsman. “We also plan to develop our product lines further, making them available directly to the consumer.”

The new 16,000-square-foot building includes a flash freezer with a holding capacity up to 28,000 lbs. of Dungeness crab. (more…)

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Read more about the article Jamestown S’Klallam reconnects creek to strait to save fish
Jamestown S'Klallam tribal staff dig out a channel in a sandbar that is blocking the flow of Seibert Creek to the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to low water flow.

Jamestown S’Klallam reconnects creek to strait to save fish

Jamestown S'Klallam tribal staff dig out a channel in a sandbar that is blocking the flow of Seibert Creek to the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to low water flow.
Jamestown S’Klallam tribal staff dig out a channel in a sandbar that is blocking the flow of Siebert Creek to the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to low water flow.

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is starting to see the effects of this year’s predicted low water flow in the Dungeness River Valley much sooner than anticipated.

Tribal natural resources staff discovered this week that the mouth of Siebert Creek had been cut off by a sandbar – a typical problem with the creek during a low water year.

But this year’s low flows are more severe than usual due to the record-low snowpack in the Olympic Mountains.

“We never consider low flows in the spring because we typically have more water coming down the creeks,” said Chris Burns, Jamestown natural resources technician. “But when McDonald Creek started looking really skinny, I started getting really worried and checked Siebert. (more…)

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Read more about the article Heronswood Gardens Receives First Tribal Art
Carvers David Franklin and

Heronswood Gardens Receives First Tribal Art

Carvers David Franklin and Brian Perry, and a Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe dancer perform in front of the totem pole at Heronswood. Photos of the totem pole can be viewed by clicking here.

Port Gamble S’Klallam tribal member Brian Perry has dabbled in small carving projects the past 20 years, but knew he needed support for creating his first totem pole.

Perry, under the eye of accomplished Northwest carver David Franklin, spent 2014 carving the 12-foot tall cedar totem pole that is now mounted at the entrance of Heronswood, the botanical gardens owned by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe.

“Working with Dave turned out to be a wise decision,” Perry said. “There are a lot of different tools needed to turn a log into a sculpture, many of which I do not own. Dave had all the tools that we needed and I learned a great deal working on this project.”

(more…)

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