DESCRIPTION
The Skokomish River Basin Ecosystem Restoration and Flood Risk Management General Investigation will address ecosystem restoration and flooding in the watershed. Mason County, Skokomish Tribal Nation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), along with several other state, federal, and local governmental entities have been working to develop a plan for restoring the ecosystem in the Skokomish River watershed.
All of the agencies are working hand-in-hand to develop the best plan of action for the people of Mason County and Skokomish Tribe. There is an increased commitment by the Skokomish Tribe and Mason County, as well as other entities, that will enable progress towards a solution to restoration of the Skokomish River.
Currently, the project partners are studying the feasibility of certain actions that will meet the initial goals of the investigation.
The initial goals are:
1) creating a sustainable and restored river channel,
2) agricultural sustainability in the valley for economic development,
3) restoration of habitat to aid recovery of endangered salmon species, and 4) flood damage reduction in the valley.
This request for additional support is direct to the combined sponsorship of the Army Corps of Engineers General Investigation of the Skomomish River. Both the Skokomish Indian Tribe and Mason County have a cost-share agreement to contribute resources totaling the committment from federal recources for an investigation that has ultimate benefits to the Puget Sound basin from its sub-basin of the Skokomish River. Due to revised flow regime changes from the FERC project #460, Tacoma's Cushman Hydroelectric Project, along with certain basin innovations in ownership, technologies and restoration opportunities, these watershed benefits will beneficially affect the Hood Canal drainage, a glacially-carved fjord of Puget Sound. This project helps support overall Puget Sound Partnership goals and objectives.
The initial requested funding amount, $175,000, meets the non-federal match amount for local sponsors (Tribe & County) which isn't already covered by other sources.
As of this report, the USACE Skokomish General Investigation feasibility report and environmental impact statement are complete. The final document is not available to attach to PRISM as it will not be released to the public by USACE until this document is reviewed and approved by a Civil Works Review Board to be held on July 30 at HQ, USACE in Washington, DC.
In conjunction with this feasibility report/eis, this effort has generated a list of 52 additional restoration projects in addition to the 6 USACE restoration projects, and serve as a single, integrated restoration plan for the Skokomish Watershed. These projects will be carried out by local restoration agencies and private landowners. Two of these additional restoration projects are proposed for SRFB funding, and if approved, will be constructed in Summer 2016.