SNOW CREEK - WRIA 17.0219
SALMON CREEK - WRIA 17.0245

Salmon Creek flows from the north slopes of Mount Zion into Discovery Bay at the eastern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, adjacent to Snow Creek. The watershed is approximately 15,150 acres (nearly 24 square miles). Snow Creek flows from the northeast and east slopes of Mount Zion into Discovery Bay, and the watershed comprises a total of approximately 14,395 acres (about 22.5 square miles). Historically, Salmon and Snow Creeks merged a short distance before they entered Discovery Bay but were separated with Snow Creek re-directed to the east for agricultural benefits. The Salmon and Snow Creeks estuary is constrained by the Highway 101 causeway and the elevated railroad grade, but has underwent extensive restoration starting in 2007.

Stock Status: See salmon distribution maps, stock charts, and documents (right side of screen).
Federally listed (threatened) – Hood Canal/Eastern Strait Juan de Fuca summer chum spawning and rearing (depressed in 2002 SaSI); Puget Sound Chinook salmon rearing in estuary.
Critical - coho (2002 SaSI)
Depressed - winter steelhead (2002 SaSI)
NOTE: Summer chum supplementation program, 1992-2003; supported reintroduction of summer chum to Chimacum Creek, 1996 to 2004.

Land use within Salmon Creek is primarily Olympic National Forest (9,230 acres) and privately held forest lands (5,052 acres). Due to budgetary constraints, the USFS has not been able to properly maintain and/or decommission forest roads, thereby increasing the threat of future sedimentation problems. There is a mixture of agriculture (~150 acres) and rural residential (613 acres) in the lower watershed, with about 10 acres zoned for commercial uses located at the mouths of Snow and Salmon creeks along Highway 101 at the marine shoreline of Discovery Bay. The predominant residential zoning in this watershed (593 acres) is one residence per 20 acres.

Land use within the Snow Creek Watershed is similar to the Salmon Creek watershed, with additional rural residential land use in the lower watershed. The Olympic National Forest comprises 5,502 acres (38% of the watershed), and privately-held forest lands comprise 7,280 (51% of the watershed). Due to budgetary constraints, the USFS has not been able to properly maintain and/or decommission forest roads, thereby increasing the threat of future sedimentation problems. Rural residential is zoned in 1,120 acres, with 191 acres of zoned agricultural land. There are about 10 acres of land zoned for commercial use located at the mouths of Snow and Salmon creeks along the shoreline of Discovery Bay. The predominant residential zoning in this watershed (650 acres) is one residence per 20 acres.

Andrews Creek - WRIA 17.0221, a tributary to Snow Creek
Description: Andrews Creek historically flowed into a wetland complex in the Highway 101 valley and most likely fed both the Little Quilcene River and Snow Creek. Today, the majority of flow is channeled through agricultural lands and into Crocker Lake before entering Snow Creek. An outlet from Crocker Lake was modified to change outflow from a wetland-type connection to a direct stream connection, although this has brought with it the need to maintain that outlet.
Stock Status: See salmon distribution maps (upper right side of screen).
Land Use: Rural residential, agriculture and forestry

For all references and an expanded version of this description see the Hood Canal Coordinating Council’s Habitat Recovery Strategy for the Hood Canal and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, version 09-2005