News

Keep up to date on HCCC highlights

Photo by Haley Harguth

Learn about HCCC’s most recent progress and achievements toward our mission to recover and protect Hood Canal’s beaches, forests, streams and wildlife for the benefit of our communities.

$750,000 to fund Hood Canal Bridge fish mortality study

Approximately 65% of juvenile, out-migrating steelhead that make it to the Hood Canal floating bridge do not make it to Admiralty Inlet, a location just North of the bridge on their migratory route. This high level of mortality may be limiting the species’ recovery, as steelhead are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. HCCC is working with Long Live the Kings (LLTK) and multiple partners to pin-point exactly how steelhead are dying in the area and discover if the floating bridge impacts water quality.  The $750k state appropriation will support the current phase of the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Impact Assessment.

Read the press release for more information.

 

New Report - Groundwater Upwelling and Summer Chum Spawning

HCCC worked with Confluence Environmental Company and Pacific Groundwater Group to compile the scientific documentation relating summer chum productivity to groundwater upwelling and inform how groundwater resources data should be used to guide future salmon habitat restoration work.  Follow the links below to view the full reports.

Phase 1: Literature Review and Interviews

Phase 2: Groundwater Modeling and Opportunities

Dungeness River LiDAR completed

Dungeness River Topo-bathy LiDAR is now complete and available from the Puget Sound Lidar Consortium. The data report and all of the data are available for download from the PSLC site http://pugetsoundlidar.ess.washington.edu/lidardata/restricted/projects/2017dungeness.html

HCCC funded this project to assist the Jamestown S'klallam Tribe and partners in planning and implementing Summer Chum restoration projects on the Dungeness River and Dungeness Delta.

Citizens Committee approves 9 projects for SRFB funding consideration

The HCCC Lead Entity Citizens Committee reviewed and approved nine projects to be submitted to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) for funding consideration for the 2017 grant round.  To view the list and links to full project proposals view our summary document

Summer Chum Symposium Presentations & Summary Notes

Hood Canal Coordinating Council's Summer Chum Symposium was held June 28th, 2017.  Click below to view meeting materials.

 

HCCC supports legislative requests

The Hood Canal Coordinating Council supports legislative requests that further HCCC's and our partners' work and investments toward Hood Canal's environmental and community wellbeing.

Hood Canal Bridge Impact Assessment Plan Completed

Download the full plan and fact sheet.

The Hood Canal Bridge carries traffic across the northern outlet of Hood Canal.  Because of its location, all salmon and steelhead must pass the Hood Canal Bridge on their migration to and from the Pacific Ocean. Recent studies indicate the bridge is a barrier to fish passage.  Slower migration times, higher mortality rates in the vicinity of the bridge relative to other areas on their migration route, and unique behavior and mortality patterns at the Bridge suggest the bridge is impeding steelhead migration and increasing predation. Additionally, recent research modeling the potential impact of the bridge suggests that the bridge may disrupt water circulation.

In 2015, federal, state, tribal, and nonprofit partners convened to develop the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Impact Assessment Plan. The plan is designed to pinpoint how the bridge is negatively affecting ESA-listed juvenile steelhead survival; determine whether other salmon may also be affected; and determine whether, and if so, to what extent the bridge is impacting the health of the Hood Canal ecosystem.  The document describes the overall plan framework, its adaptive management structure, and the details of the first phase of the assessment.

Learn more about the Hood Canal Bridge Ecosystem Impact Assessment on the Long Live The Kings project webpage.

2016 Salmon habitat projects ranked and submitted for final funding decision!

The project list reviewed and ranked by the HCCC Lead Entity Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and Citizens Committee has been submitted to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) for their final review and funding decision.   View the 2016 LE Habitat Project List which includes links to project descriptions in PRISM snapshot. 

HCCC Environmental Award Winners Announced!

Join us November 4th for the Hood Canal Environmental Awards Program and Poster Session. 

Awards will be presented to the following individuals/organizations:

  • Mike Anderson, for his role in forming and coordinating the Skokomish Watershed Action Team (SWAT) and his continued support of restoration activities in the Skokomish Watershed. 
  • Shore Friendly Kitsap & Shore Friendly Mason for making significat gains in changing public perception about bulkheads and nearshore barriers using a variety of education and outreach techniques.
  • Thom Johnson, Point No Point Treaty Council, for his many years of work supporting salmon  recovery and conservation efforts in Hood Canal.

These nominees are also recognized as Honorable Mentions:

  • Roma Call, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
  • Student Garden Project, sponsored by Barbara Bromley, 4th Grade Teacher, Clear Creek Elementary
  • Kitsap Forest & Bay Coalition
  • Michelle Myers, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
  • Jay and Susie Allen (Tahuya River residents)

 

Event information:  10am - 2pm on Friday, November 4th at the Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside. 

Interested in attending?  Please RSVP on whoozin or contact rlawlis@hccc.wa.gov for more information. 

Interested in displaying a poster?  contact rlawlis@hccc.wa.gov

HCCC Achieves 1st ILF Program Credit Release in WA State!

Please find attached the IRT co-chair letter releasing initial credits for the Irene Pond ILF Site.  The first such letter for any ILF Program in Washington State!  Congratulations to HCCC for being the first to start the fulfillment process for ILF credits sold!

Gail Terzi Mitigation Program Manager Seattle District Corps of Engineers