Category Overview
Conserving land along our waterways protects important habitat and helps keep our rivers healthy, clean, and more resilient to drought. Riparian Protection projects conserve and restore fresh and saltwater habitat while protecting fish habitat. In doing so, the grants help provide our families, farms, and fisheries with clean water across the state.
Project Highlights
This project was the third phase of a multi-year project and acquired, in fee simple, 948 acres of primarily riparian forest, wetland, and in-stream habitat on the Olympic Peninsula along the main stem of the Clearwater River and its important tributaries including Shale Creek and Christmas Creek. The primary purpose of this project was for habitat protection targeting the two most significant habitat threats to these river systems: ongoing intensive forest management and rural development. The Clearwater and Queets rivers in western Jefferson County drain an area of more than 287,383 acres. The riparian properties acquired are managed under a stewardship plan and are an essential anchor to preserve habitat for Chinook, coho, chum, pink and sockeye salmon, as well as steelhead, cutthroat and bull trout. The rivers and this associated Riparian Protection also support other important species such as Pacific lamprey, Olympic mudminnow, and marbled murrelet.