The Wild Salmon Center used this funding to purchase 255 acres of Elk Creek floodplain (235 upland and 20 wetland) in Clallam County, just east of Forks city limits. The land was later transferred to the North Olympic Land Trust. The area is by far the most productive portion of the stream and contains the largest floodplain of the three Calawah River tributaries. It is composed of primarily native plant and animal species and is one of the few remaining examples of pristine old growth floodplain. The floodplain provides spawning habitat for coho salmon and deep pools for summer and winter rearing of juvenile fish and a myriad of complex large woody debris formations that stabilize the stream channel in high flow events. Large woody debris within the stream also allows for nutrients to decay slowly and be absorbed by aquatic organisms. The intact old growth forest is optimal for creating complex habitat for fish and wildlife and is an integral part of the entire ecosystem. This acquisition will do much to allow the Calawah River to continue to be a stronghold for wild salmon.