Lower Elwha KIallam Tribe River Restoration Update:
Robert Elofson, the Tribal River Restoration Coordinator, has coordinated the mitigation planning activities for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) in anticipation of expected impacts when dam removal begins in fiscal year 2007.
Tribal efforts include:
- Levee modification
- Groundwater mitigation
- Lake Aldwell revegetation
- Tribal Hatchery Construction
- Planning/Design of Hatchery Modifications
- Near Shore Monitoring
- Cultural Resources/Protection
The Tribe currently receives funding to work on the above mitigation activities through an annual funding agreement with Department of Interior/National Park Service and Olympic National Park. The annual funding agreement is negotiated annually and if changes are needed then the Tribe can initiate a modification to the annual funding agreement.
The Tribe continues to fulfill its role as a government participating in the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration. This process has allowed the Tribe, Department of Interior (DOI)/National Park Service (NPS) and the city of Port Angeles to forge partnerships to realize a mutual goal. The experience and friendships received will strengthen existing and developing working relationships.
Levee Modification :
- The tribe is working with the United States Army Corp of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation to provide the Tribe with technical specifications for the modification of the levee realignment.
- The Tribe hired Montgomery/Watson/Harza (MWH) to work on Levee modifications.
- The Tribe will extend the levee both North and South of the length of the Elwha River .The preferred alignment has not been choosen yet.
- The height and width of the levee will be increased along the length of the levee to protect for a 200 year flood event.
- The Height and width changes will occur 1:3 ratio. Meaning for every 1foot increase to the height of the levee the width of the levee will need to be extended three feet.
- The Tribe is looking into the possibility of complimenting the rip rap rock protection with soft armoring (log jams), which provides for better habitat for the salmon in the river. The funds for soft armoring will need to be funding through a different agency other than funds from the National Park Service.
Groundwater Mitigation
- The groundwater level is expected to rise due to the removal of the dams.
- Tribe has monitored weekly groundwater levels for the last couple of years to better understand how the correlation of groundwater levels and the valley ground water levels in the area of the reservation. A completed study in 2001, Ground water levels versus river levels study, confirms that changes in ground water levels responded to changes in river levels.
- 1 :0.4 ratio and a 1 :0.9 ratio were observed North of Lower Elwha Road
- 1: 1.6 ratio were observed South of Lower Elwha Road
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109 homes on the reservation are impacted
- 9 non-residential buildings on the reservation are impacted
- All homes and non-residential buildings currently use on-site septic systems for wastewater collection.
- Due to expected rise in river the groundwater levels will impact on-site septic systems in the area of impact, making on-site septic systems unusable.
- The preferred wastewater system chosen by the community is "Transport to the City of Port Angeles"
- The Tribe is working with Clallam County , City of Port Angeles, Washington State Department of Ecology, OCD, National Park Service, and Bureau of Reclamation, Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding the Tribes wastewater needs.
Lake Aldwell Revegetation
- Special attention was focused on the following targeted species: Japanese Knotweed, Giant Knotweed, Spotted Knappweed, European Burdock, Scotch Broom, and Himalayan Blackberry.
- A survey found that exotic plants covered approximately 524 acres within the project area. Twenty-six species thought to be potentially harmful to revegetation efforts (Table 1) were mapped using global positioning systems in the project area. These infestations are the primary focus of exotic plant control efforts in the immediate future.
Table1. Exotic plant species found in the Elwha River (Olson et al 2001). Species in bold were
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Common burdock |
Arctium minus |
Wild Morning Glory |
Calystegia sepium |
Brown Knapweed |
Centaurea jacea |
Canada thistle |
Cirisium arvense |
Bull thistle |
Cirisium vugare |
Scotch broom |
Cystius Scoparius |
Orchard grass |
Dactylis glomerata |
Toothed coast burnwee |
Erechtites minima |
Herb Robert |
Geranium robertianum |
English Ivy |
Hedera helix |
Common St. John's Wort |
Hypericum perforatum |
English holly |
Ilex aquifolium |
Everlasting peavine |
Lathyrus latifolius |
Small everlasting peavine |
Lathyrus sylvestris |
Reed canarygrass |
Phalaris arundinacea |
Japanese knoteweed |
Polygonum cuspidatum |
Giant knotweed |
Polygonum sachalinense |
Sulfer cinquefoil |
Potentilla recta |
Laurel cherry |
Prunus laurocerasus |
Himalayan blackberry |
Rubus discolor |
Evergreen blackberry |
Rubus laciniatus |
Curly dock |
Rumex crispus |
Tansy ragwort |
Senecio jacobaea |
Hairy vetch |
Vicia hirsute |
Common Vetch |
Vicia sativa |
Wolly Vetch |
Vicia villosa |
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2002 Exotic Plant Control Effort
- During 2002 initial efforts to control exotic plants in the Elwha River was initiated by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. The Tribe hired a three-person crew to conduct the effort. The Tribal crew worked from June 1 to October 15.
- Additionally, the Tribe contracted a seven-person Washington Conservation Commission (WCC) crew to assist the control efforts of the tribal crew. The WCC crew was contracted for an II-week period in the summer.
- Control effort was focused on the Lake Mills delta and shoreline, Glines Canyon Dam area, Hot Springs Road , and the Elwha Dam areas. Areas of exotic infestation were identified directly from Olson et al. (2001) and through discussion with ONP staff. Additionally, the Tribe worked with the Clallam County Noxious Weed Board to gain access to several private properties along the Hot Springs Road.
- The Tribe also conducted initial control efforts in the lower river. Control efforts employed primarily mechanical control techniques including cutting, pulling, and digging, though some herbicide application on private land was used for difficult to eradicate species such as Japanese knotweed, and brown knapweed. Herbicide application was limited to spot spraying (backpack), or direct injection methods only to minimize deleterious impacts caused by over-spray. Only approved herbicides (primarily Round-Up) were used according to label directions. All herbicide application was done under the supervision of a licensed applicator and with permission of private landowners. The total species removed, and the estimated acreage treated is summarized in Table2.
Table 2. Estimated acreage and total number of plants removed (by species) during exotic plant control efforts on the Elwha River in 2002.
Species |
Number of Plants |
Estimated Acreage |
Bull/Canadian Thistle |
13,000 |
15.2 |
Scotch Broom |
6,835 |
7.5 |
Knotweeds |
3,170 |
10.0 |
Common Burdock |
3,990 |
8.6 |
Tansy Ragwort |
2,600 |
3.0 |
English Ivy |
1,570 |
0.5 |
Brown Knapweed |
7,000 |
14.5 |
Blackberries |
150 |
0.2 |
Total |
38,315 |
59.5 |
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2003 Exotic Plant Control Effort
- The Tribe will continue to have a three person crew to conduct exotic plant control efforts similar to the 2002 plant control efforts.
Hatchery Construction/Planning/Design
- The Tribe hired Montgomery/Watson/Harza(MWH) for preliminary & final design of the Tribal Hatchery Modifications.
- The Tribe is working with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service in this project.
- Tribal Engineers MWH is completing a hatchery site alternatives report, which will determine the most efficientlocation for the tribal hatchery.
- The Tribe currently raises three salmon species at the Hatchery:
- Chum (Summer Run Hood Canal-Listed as Threatened)
- Coho
- Winter Steelhead
- The Tribe is looking at adding two additional salmon species to the hatchery once the hatchery modifications are complete.
- Pinks
- Chinook (Puget Sound-Listed as Threatened)
Tabel 3. Estimated acreage & total number of plants removed (by species) during exotic plant control efforts on the Elwha River in 2003
Species |
Number of Plants |
Estimated Acreage |
Bull/Canadian Thistle |
2,500-3,000 |
14.6 |
Scotch Broom |
2,500 |
1.8 |
Japanese Knotweed |
? |
6 (lots) |
Common Burdock |
3,500 |
8.6 |
Canadian Thistle |
15,000 |
6.3 |
Meadow Knapweed |
30,000 |
4.5 |
Curly Dock |
15,000 |
1.5 |
Total |
69,000 |
37.3 |
Nearshore Monitoring
The Tribe contracts with Coastal Geological Services to do beach profile monitoring of the Elwha River Delta Coast at least bi-annually (Spring and Fall).
Cultural Resource Protection
The Elwha River has been home to the Elwha Tribal members for generations. There were tribal homesteads along the Elwha River . These cultural areas are outside of the Elwha Reservation the Tribe is working with Olympic National Park, under a Programmatic Agreement, to come up with a plan to protect all cultural resources known and unknown for both pre and post dam removal. |
