Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series highlighting projects that have been completed as part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy. These projects are implemented in cooperation with partners such as the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, the Quinault Indian Nation, state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, landowners and the Aquatic Species Restoration Plan team. The Chronicle has partnered with the Office of Chehalis Basin for this series. Read previous installments at chronline.com.
This summer, two projects sponsored by Grays Harbor Conservation District will begin restoring nearly 5 miles of the lower Satsop River to reduce unnaturally rapid riverbank erosion and help improve habitat for salmon, steelhead trout and other aquatic life.
By placing large woody debris in the river, controlling invasive plants and reconnecting the floodplain, the projects aim to improve the environmental health of the river system with long-term resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Anticipated long-term outcomes include reducing how the river channels migrate to allow for river-side forests to mature, increasing large woody debris throughout the river system which, in turn, supports healthy habitat for salmon, stabilizes spawning gravels and sustains river channel connections for additional habitat off the main river channel.
The problem
The Satsop River has been degraded over the years due to land use changes, from the harvest of old growth forest and removal of historic log jams, to ineffective erosion control efforts such as channel manipulation and hard bank armoring. Over time, these activities have collectively resulted in the loss of stable large wood in the river, a reduction of large wood falling into the river, growth of invasive plants and an overall simplification of the river system.
Because of this long-term simplification process, the river system has become disconnected from its floodplain and is more likely to erode quickly across the river valley, worsening the risk of flood damage and threatening nearby agricultural lands, residences and infrastructure. The simplification has also resulted in significantly less and lower-quality habitat for salmon, which thrive in messy, dynamic river systems with a propensity of wood and off-channel habitats.
The projects
In 2023, the Department of Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin provided Grays Harbor
Conservation District $3 million to implement the first phase of the restoration project located at Satsop River Mile 0-2, just north of the Satsop Business Park. The project is part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy’s Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP).
During the first construction phase, the district will install 15 engineered log jams near the confluence of the Satsop and Chehalis rivers and over 200 acres of riparian forest enhancement, which includes tree and shrub planting and invasive plant treatment.
Once additional grant funding is secured, this large-scale project will implement phase two of construction in the summer of 2025 and continue riparian enhancement on an additional 175 acres until 2028.
Just upstream of Satsop River Mile 0-2 project, the district is implementing a similar restoration project along Satsop River Mile 2.5-5.0 (just north of the Highway 12 bridge).
This project involves installation of 25 engineered log jams in summer 2024 and seven in summer 2025, with over 350 acres of riparian enhancement.
The budget for construction and riparian restoration for the Satsop River Mile 2.5–5.0 project is around $5.5 million, with funding provided by the Office of Chehalis Basin and the Washington State Conservation Commission.
The impact
Together, these two projects will significantly increase habitat quality and reduce streambank erosion throughout the lower Satsop in a high-priority habitat area for species like salmon. In addition to benefits for aquatic life, the projects will also decrease flood risk for basin communities who live, work and recreate along the Satsop River.
Thanks to the collaboration between landowners, permitting agencies, construction contractors, engineers and funding entities, these two ambitious and innovative projects will provide important regional examples of nature-based solutions to the habitat and erosion issues that face many of the rivers in our region.
About the Chehalis Basin Strategy
The Chehalis Basin Strategy is a network of partners and projects dedicated to protecting communities from flood damage, restoring critical habitat for aquatic life and ensuring the Chehalis Basin is safe and prosperous for people, fish and wildlife for generations to come.
The strategy, through the Office of Chehalis Basin, has invested nearly $152 million in on-the-ground flood preparation, flood damage reduction and aquatic species restoration, and has completed more than 140 projects, with dozens more underway.
The strategy is led by a group of representatives with diverse interests and perspectives called the Chehalis Basin Board and is administered and funded by the Washington Department of Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin. It depends on its many partners across the Chehalis Basin and the state, such as the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, to inform the path forward and take projects from ideas to reality.
