Quinault Indian Nation continued the Upper Quinault River Restoration Program during the 2021-2023 biennium. The project is the 4th phase of river restoration activities initiated in 2008 to restore natural river and forest processes that create and maintain high-quality salmon habitat in the upper Quinault River. including Phase 4 work, over 100 logjams have been constructed since 2008 in the upper Quinault River since 2008. The intent of the project is to reduce channel migration rates by replacing functions once provided by enormous old-growth trees that were removed from the river and surrounding floodplain during the near valley-wide logging in the early 1900s. The stable large wood structures help stabilize Quinault blueback (sockeye) spawning areas and provide spawning and rearing habitat for all salmon species – while also reducing risks to infrastructure and public and private property associated with bank erosion, channel migration, and flooding. Reforestation and invasive plant control also continued throughout the upper Quinault floodplain and tributaries in 2022 and 2023, which complements the ELJ effort by protecting and promoting the formation of stable, forested islands throughout the floodplain. More specifically, the following project elements were completed during the 2021-2023 biennium as part of Phase 4 of the Upper Quinault Restoration Program: * Geomorphic Assessment of proposed project reach using a current orthophotographs * Prelimary and final design plans for summer 2023 ELJ construction * Acquisition of all permits and agreements necessary for 2023 construction * Procurement of a materials and a construction contractor for 2023 construction * Summer 2023 construction of 10 new engineered log jam (ELJ) structures and reinforcement of 6 existing ELJ structures in the project area near the South Shore Road - about 2 miles upstream of Lake Quinault. * Summer 2022 invasive plant surveys and treatement - Survey of 20.5 miles (622 acres) of Upper Quinault floodplain habitat for invasive plant presence and density estimates - Treatement of 128 acres of Reed Canary Grass infestations * Summer 2023 invasive plant surveys and treatement * Survey of 6.8 miles (226 acres) of Big Creek floodplain habitat for invasive plant presence and density estimates * Treatement of 80.2 acres of Reed Canary Grass infestations * Summer 2022 forest development monitoring in permanent plots installed in 2015, 2016 and 2019. - Permanent plots were established within project floodplain/forest restoration areas. - 34 plots were quantitatively monitored using protocols developed for the restoration program. - 5 additional permanent plots were established. Phase 5 work will continue in 2025 with the installation of at least 10 more logjams and may expand considerably, depending on the success of an application for ~$3M in funding from NOAA's Coastal Habitat Restoration Grant for Tribes and Underserved Communities. If recieved, this grant would also extend into 2026 and 2027 and be paired with a Phase 6 RCO proposal to boost productivity of the Upper Quinault Restoration Program over the next three years.