Estuary

Medium level of documented loss compared to Puget Sound.

H - Minimize the impacts of dredging on salmonid survival.

M - Continue the Spartina eradication program in Grays Harbor.

Floodplain Conditions

H - Reduce bank armoring along the lower reaches of rivers and in the estuaries, especially in the lower Wishkah and Hoquiam Rivers and along Johns River estuary.

H - Reconnect the potential off-channel habitat in the lower Chehalis River as described in Ralph et al. 1994.

H - Protect the intact estuarine floodplain habitat in the lower Chehalis River (RM 13-20).

H - Protect the Humptulips estuary and lower river from development within the floodplain. 

H – Inventory and prioritize the estuarine shoreline, identifying good areas for preservation and areas for restoration.

Water Quality

Poor. Recent improvements but need to show link to salmonid survival.

H – Continue to enforce and monitor pollution discharge from mill effluent, following DOE’s pollution discharge permit.

H - Follow the recommendations of the future TMDL for dioxin.

H - Assess smolt survival in the inner harbor and compare to Humptulips smolt survival to see if water quality improvements have been successful in improving Chehalis coho smolt survival.

M - Monitor eelgrass habitat in Grays Harbor to determine trends and salmonid use.

LWD

L - Introduce LWD in the estuary between the Wishkah and Hoquiam Rivers and in the lower tidal zone of rivers.

H – Prevent removal of appropriate pieces of LWD through increased education and enforcement. 

Nearshore

H - Discourage the development of seawalls along the coastline