LITTLE QUILCENE RIVER - WRIA 17.0076
Description: The Little Quilcene drains into Quilcene Bay north of the Big Quilcene River. The watershed comprises 22,512 acres (about 35 square miles) in the northeastern corner of the Olympic Mountains and adjacent lowlands. There are three main left-bank tributaries in this watershed, including Howe, Ripley, and Leland Creeks.

Stock Status: See salmon distribution maps, stock charts, and documents (right side of screen).
Federally listed (threatened) – HC/ESJF summer chum spawning and rearing (depressed in 2002 SaSI); Puget Sound Chinook salmon rearing
Depressed - coho (2002 SaSI)
Healthy - late fall chum (2002 SaSI)
Unknown - winter steelhead (2002 SaSI)

Land Use: The Little Quilcene watershed is less protected than many other Hood Canal rivers. None of the watershed is located within Olympic National Park, although major portions of the upper watershed are located within the Olympic National Forest and benefit from the riparian reserve program. About 9,872 acres (44% of the total watershed) occur within the Olympic National Forest, and another 8,224 acres (36% of the total watershed) are zoned for privatelyheld forest land. There are 3,840 acres of rural residential zoning in the Little Quilcene watershed, 180 acres of agriculture, and five acres of commercially-zoned lands. The predominant residential zoning in this watershed (2,263 acres) is one residence per 20 acres.

Leland Creek - WRIA 17.0077, a tributary to the Little Quilcene River
Description: Leland Creek drains a valley bottom of wetlands and Leland Lake. The SR101 road prism and associated water quality issues impact much of the watershed.
Stock Status: Coho, cutthroat
Land Use: Rural residential, agriculture

BIG QUILCENE RIVER – WRIA 17.0012
Description: The Big Quilcene River drains into Quilcene Bay near the Little Quilcene River, located in the northwest portion of Hood Canal. The Big Quilcene River has a watershed area of about 44,786 acres (about 70 square miles). Eighty-five percent of the watershed is in federal ownership. The Buckhorn Wilderness Area occupies about 30% of the watershed. As with other east Olympic Mountain drainages, it has a bimodal hydrology with winter and spring peaks.

Stock Status: See salmon distribution maps, stock charts, and documents (right side of screen).
Federally listed (threatened) – HC/ESJF summer chum spawning and rearing (depressed in 2002 SaSI); Puget Sound Chinook salmon rearing and limited but historically significant spawning (but not identified as a stock under 2002 SaSI)
Depressed - coho (2002 SaSI)
Healthy - late fall chum (2002 SaSI)
Unknown - winter steelhead (2002 SaSI)

NOTE: Summer chum supplementation program, 1992-2003; supported reintroduction of summer chum to Big Beef Creek, 1996-2000.
Land Use: The community of Quilcene is located in, and adjacent to, the 100-year floodplain of the Big Quilcene River. Rural residential zoning occupies approximately 4% of the watershed. Commercial zoning occupies a total of 48 acres (0.1% of the watershed). There are 22 acres of light industrial zoning located just outside of the Quilcene “downtown-core” community. The predominant residential zoning in this watershed (979 acres) is one residence per five acres.

Penny Creek - WRIA 17.0014, a tributary to the Big Quilcene River

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