DESCRIPTION
This project followed up on the Pole Creek bridge/ culvert removal project. The project scenario was similar to other road decommissioning projects in the Olympic region where abandoned midslope roads became sources of debris torrents, damaging downstream fish habitat. Pole Creek formerly had good juvenile habitat as referenced by USFS smolt trap records of the mid 1990's. Project goals included; the removal of all fish passage blocking (3 type F, 9 type Np at road but F below) stream culverts and all cross drains in upper Pole Creek. Several farthest in were already failing and about to deliver debris and sediment to lower fish bearing waters, AND To stabilize the fills and roadbed. Project scope; approximately 9000 feet of the SP-1000 and SP-1100 roads were dealt with, revegetated and scattered with wood, leaving a truncated road system available for use. All stream crossings were regraded to the original slope and had rough LWD added to restore structure and slow runoff. This project remained inexpensive due to the level terrain and lack of need for trucking materials offsite. The area between the multiple parallel streams was retained as a large forested corridor with good connectivity between the downhill USFS late successional forest and higher up DNR NSO set-asides. The PCSC, HRT and Hoh Tribe were all involved to some degree. Project was completed in September of 2010 with a substantial remainder available for additional project work.
In 9/2011 the project was extended to include road decommisioning in the area just east of the original site. 800 ft of road along Hoh Springs Creek (sp-4100) with two culverts, 1500 feet of the SP-4000 (which was built with no drainage structures and ran though a major wetland) and 1900 feet of the SP-3300 & 3400 with three culverts (stream parallel to main Hoh river and a wetland); were all removed, mulched and planted by 12/30/2011. All three roads had sediment runoff issues. The Hoh Tribe was not able to complete its match in planting and erosion control so HRT used local inmate crews to finish. HRT paid for the labor and materials as match.