The Tacoma News Tribune reported on the latest project of Tacoma Power's hydroelectric program on the North Fork of the Skokomish River, as part of the 2009 settlement with the Skokomish…
The steelhead population in the Skokomish River has doubled since the Skokomish Tribe started a supplementation project in 2006, part of a 16 year-long project to boost the steelhead population in Hood Canal.
“The increase in the number of egg nests has given us an early indication that the project is working, but the long-term monitoring will be the true test of its success,” said Matt Kowlaski, the tribe’s steelhead biologist. “We expect numbers to continue to increase over the next four years because there will be active supplementation of steelhead into the river. After the project is over, we expect the egg nest numbers to likely flatten out or decrease, but hopefully remain at elevated levels.” (more…)
The Skokomish Tribe is targeting several lower Hood Canal beaches for restoration efforts this summer. Shellfish populations near the mouths of the mainstem of the Skokomish River as well as…
The Skokomish Tribe is wrapping up the first five years of an intensive 16-year study to enhance steelhead populations in Hood Canal rivers. Puget Sound steelhead are listed as “threatened”…
The Kitsap Sun did a brief update on some of the big restoration projects that will be taking place within the Skokomish watershed this summer, mainly focusing on habitat along the South Fork and mouth of the river.
From the article: (more…)
The Kitsap Sun, Tacoma Daily Index and Tacoma News Tribune reported on the signing of the settlement agreement between Skokomish Tribe and the City of Tacoma on Jan 12. From…
More than 80 years ago, President Calvin Coolidge pushed a button that energized Cushman Dam No. 1 on the North Fork of the Skokomish River. The hydroelectric dam dewatered the North Fork, wiping out salmon runs upon which the Skokomish Tribe has always depended.
Cushman Dam No. 1 was joined a few years later by Cushman Dam No. 2, built just downstream. Neither dam allows fish passage. Together, the two dams reduced water flows to a trickle, altering the biology and geology of the river system, and deeply affecting Skokomish tribal culture and treaty-reserved fishing rights. On March 7, after decades of efforts, tribal member Dave Herrera pressed a button that restored a small part of the North Fork’s historic flow from Dam No. 2. (more…)
Skokomish (April 25, 2008) – Worse case scenario: It’s mid-day and a large earthquake occurs along a fault line that runs between the two Cushman dams in the Skokomish River Valley. Both dams are breached, and the roads and bridges leading out of the valley are severely damaged. It is estimated that the resulting flood would put the Skokomish reservation under 32 feet of water within one to two hours. Homes, tribal government buildings and the Hood Canal School would be severely damaged or destroyed.
But before the water level rises, the reservation’s 1,200 residents and the school’s 350 students are able to get to higher ground using an evacuation trail built by the students this spring.
The Kitsap Sun and Tacoma News Tribune reported on the increased water flow from the Cushman Dam to the North Fork of the Skokomish River on March 7. The amount…
Various news media covered the Skokomish Tribe's dike breaching project on Monday and Tuesday: From the Kitsap Sun: Watching the salt water lap his shoes, Keith Dublanica, senior land planner…