DESCRIPTION
The Forest Service decommisioned 4 miles of Forest Service Road (FSR) 2931-100 in Goodman Creek, a Sol Duc River tributary. The project was identified as 1 of 8 top unranked restoration needs in a stakeholder assessment of the Quillayute basin in 2006. Decommisioning involved removing all culverts and fills, removing unstable sidecast, outsloping and providing sufficient drainage from the former road bed, erosion control of disturbed soils, and controlling noxious weed infestation. The project goal was to restore inputs of sediment and debris into Goodman Creek to more natural levels and protect fish habitat by reducing the volume and frequency of road related mass wasting and erosion. Management activities in Goodman Creek have increased erosion levels almost 150% above natural levels. The negative effects of landslides and excessive sedimentation on fish habitat and fish productivity are well documented. Anadromous and resident salmonids are found in 5 miles of Goodman Creek. Tributaries are very steep, limiting fish utilization to the mainstem Goodman Creek and making them vulnerable to landslides. Goodman Creek is utilized by native runs of fall coho, summer and fall chinook, winter steelhead and resident and anadromous cutthroat trout. Goodman Creek has historically recorded some of the highest spawning densities of medium sized tributaries in the Quillayute basin.