Fish Passage

DG (Suspect Poor). Known problems: high road density (4 mi/sq mi), limited refuge habitat.

H - Open three or more miles of good quality habitat used by at least one stock of salmon or steelhead.  Exceptions:  include very cost efficient projects addressing unique limiting habitat or benefiting multiple stocks.

H - Prioritize the restoration of culverts blocking passage in the WF and MF Satsop due to limited winter refuge.

H - Bridges are the preferred structure.  If culverts are used, they should be sized to allow full access to all fish species and life history stages.

H - Inventory, assess, and prioritize all habitat blockages (culverts, dikes, railroad grades, etc.) for all salmonid life history stages. 

H - Develop a database housed with the lead entity, to contain all blockage data. 

Floodplain Conditions

DG. Known problems: limited refuge habitat.

H - Reconnect potential off-channel habitat.  Follow recommendations in Ralph et al. 1994.

H - Restoration actions need to increase instream LWD to help address channel incision and flow issues.  This includes appropriate riparian restoration to result in better future LWD levels.

H – Maintain, conserve, and prioritize off-channel and side channel habitat and associated riparian. 

H - Inventory impacts and suitable restoration sites for floodplain habitat coincident with the barrier/culvert inventory.

Sediment

Poor (DG). Known problems: very high sediment loads (sidecast roads) and sediment transport, high road densities, and low LWD.

H- Decommission roads at risk of landslides, especially side-cast roads.

H – Correct high impact road sediment delivery problems via push-outs, cross-drains, and sediment traps etc.

H - Increase protection of steep and unstable slopes.

H - Stabilize and revegetate exposed mass wasting sites to reduce surface erosion.

H – Relocate gravel extraction activities away from shorelines and the 100-year floodplain.

H - Reduce livestock access to streams, especially in Drybed, Decker, Bingham Creeks and the West Fork and East Fork Satsop Rivers.

L - Provide education regarding the impacts of vehicle activity in streams and increase enforcement. 

H - Inventory roads and assess impacts to salmon and steelhead as well as prioritize restoration actions. 

H - Inventory and prioritize sediment sources in the MF and EF Satsop watersheds.

LWD

Poor in WF, DG elsewhere.  Known problems: low LWD.

H - Actions are needed to increase LWD, or similarly functioning natural structures, in appropriate places.  This would include anchoring or recruiting in the system.   Priority should be given to the WF and MF watersheds.

H – Prevent removal of appropriate pieces of LWD, and other natural structures, within the floodplain through increased education and enforcement. 

H - Determine appropriateness through inventory or other assessment of LWD, or other natural structure(s), placement.  (e.g. gravel recruiting,  hydrology, wood or structure size, gradient, near term LWD recruitment potential, and valley confinement)

Riparian

Poor (DG, based upon coarse data). Known problems: riparian loss, conversion to hardwoods.

H - Revegetate open riparian areas with native plants including conifers in appropriate places.

M - Interplant conifer into hardwood riparian areas that were historically conifer areas.   

M- Plant conifer adjacent to and outside existing and limited existing conifer and hardwood riparian areas.

H - Funds, lands, and easement opportunities should be identified to obtain areas of mid-to late seral stage riparian with priority given to older stands.  This is applicable to lands that do not have current protection such as those outside of current forest practice regulations.

H – Continue enforcement and revision of current regulations that preserve and enhance riparian regeneration.

H - Assess and prioritize recovery and protection for riparian conditions in all areas of the Satsop except in the WF.

Water Quality

Poor, with some data gaps.  Known problems: warm water temperatures likely due to poor riparian conditions, and high turbidity, related to sedimentation.

H - Actions need to address sediment, riparian, and flow problems. 

H - Increase activities that lead to natural recharge of the aquifers and maintain or improve hydrological maturity. 

H - Reduce livestock access to streams, especially in Drybed, Decker, Bingham Creeks and the West Fork and East Fork Satsop Rivers.

H - Restore wetlands and off-channel habitat.

H - Decrease activities that interfere with the natural recharge of aquifers or degrade hydrological maturity.

M - Monitor water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity in each fork of the Satsop River.

Water Quantity

Poor in mainstem and MF; DG in WF; Good in EF.  Known problems: increased peak flows, reduced hydrologic maturity, high risk of scour.

H - Actions need to address sediment, riparian, and flow problems. 

H - Reduce water withdrawals from surface sources.

H - Increase activities that lead to natural recharge of the aquifers and maintain or improve hydrologic maturity. 

H -Restore wetlands and off-channel habitat.

H - Decrease activities that interfere with the natural recharge of aquifers or degrade hydrological maturity.

H - Investigate and prioritize causes of low summer flow in the lower Satsop River.

M - Monitor scour in the WF, MF, and mainstem Satsop.

Biological Processes

Fair

L - Increase contribution of marine –derived nutrients through increased use of carcasses. 

H - Increase field surveys for salmonid escapement, distribution, and habitat use by life history stage.

L - Assess marine-derived nutrient processes.