Elwha Nearshore

June 14, 2015

(photos by Anne Shaffer)

As the Elwha continues to evolve, the nearshore habitat and fish management continue to complicate the view. A hostile, sediment-starved shoreline has transitioned into a lovely beach prompting alarming and damaging new development and ATV use along the only stretch of surf smelt spawning beach in the entire drift cell—they are spawning now.

There’s a large scar from a recent beach log fire, destroying sorely needed large wood. Wood collecting has started too. Meanwhile public use of this shoreline continues to grow dramatically and the public has an expectation of a wilderness experience while accessing through and to non-public property.

Bad enough? Nope. The Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife released 2 million juvenile Chinook to this small estuary a week ago.

The bottom line: The Elwha nearshore is extremely fragile and complex. What we do matters. Do what you can to preserve and protect this new treasure. We just can’t do it alone.

Anne Shaffer
Coastal Watershed Institute
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles WA 98362
anne.shaffer@coastalwatershedinstitute.org
360.461.0799
www.coastalwatershedinstitute.org