Morse Creek Riverine Restoration
Description:
Morse Creek is inhabited by multiple stocks of imperiled salmonids: Strait of Juan De Fuca summer chum, bull trout, pink salmon, coho salmon and winter steelhead. Puget Sound Chinook were recently extirpated in Morse Creek. Much of the stream reach within the recently purchased WDFW property (river mile 1.2 to 1.7) is severely degraded by human impacts. It is channelized, confined, over-steepened, diked and depleted of large wood, resulting in severe channel simplification. The channel is extremely energetic, paved with large cobbles and boulders, and lacks complexity. Fish habitat conditions are extremely poor. This project will restore high quality mainstem, side channel, and off-channel habitat historically used by all the imperiled Morse Creek salmonids and also by coastal cutthroat trout. Work will include 1) removal of 1,100 feet of dike, 2) restoration of the 1939 stream channel, reconnection of the stream with 9.3 acres of flood plain, and 3) construction of two substantial engineered log jams.
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Morse Creek Riverine Restoration
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Morse Creek is inhabited by multiple stocks of imperiled salmonids: Strait of Juan De Fuca summer chum, bull trout, pink salmon, coho salmon and winter steelhead. Puget Sound Chinook were recently extirpated in Morse Creek. Much of the stream reach within the recently purchased WDFW property (river mile 1.2 to 1.7) is severely degraded by human impacts. It is channelized, confined, over-steepened, diked and depleted of large wood, resulting in severe channel simplification. The channel is extremely energetic, paved with large cobbles and boulders, and lacks complexity. Fish habitat conditions are extremely poor. This project will restore high quality mainstem, side channel, and off-channel habitat historically used by all the imperiled Morse Creek salmonids and also by coastal cutthroat trout. Work will include 1) removal of 1,100 feet of dike, 2) restoration of the 1939 stream channel, reconnection of the stream with 9.3 acres of flood plain, and 3) construction of two substantial engineered log jams.
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Drive westbound from Sequim on Hwy 101. Cross the Dungeness River bridge and then drive 9.8 miles to the Morse Creek hill. Just before the bottom of the hill, turn right onto Strait View Drive. Immediately turn left into the parking lot of the log building (Morse Cr Center). Park and walk upstream under the Hwy 101 Morse Creek Bridge. Walk upstream about 1,100 feet to the lower end of the project site. The site continues upstream another 1,100 feet from this point.
