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
Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) acquired 297 acres of land from the University of Washington in partnership with Forterra within the Lower Big Big Creek watershed on Hood Canal. This area consists of estuary, freshwater, wetland, riparian, and upland habitat critical to coho and ESA listed Hood Canal Summer Chum salmon, and ESA listed Puget Sound steelhead. Big Beef Creek is one of four streams included in the Hood Canal Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) program, centered on measuring the response of salmonid populations to specific habitat restoration actions as well as the mechanism driving responses. These properties have now been included as a site in our Riparian Enhancement and Knotweed Control project as noted in the Stewardship Plan to maintain the integrity of the Riparian Protection.