Lees Creek is a medium-sized independent drainage to salt water, entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca just east of Port Angeles. It currently supports very low numbers of anadromous salmon, limited to a few returning coho and steelhead. Lees Creek is a “naturally closed channel” through the summer, as the mouth of the channel is isolated from the Strait of Juan de Fuca by a natural sand spit during low flow periods. Access is available to anadromous salmon only when flows and tides increase to the extent that the sand spit is overtopped. Lees Creek has been significantly altered from its historic condition. Various constrictions affecting downstream flow and fish passage are still in place, although some have been resolved in recent years. Inadequate large woody debris is a widespread problem. Stormwater flows (including those from several landfills), animal-keeping practices, water quality impacts from surface nonpoint sources, and sedimentation are ongoing issues in this watershed.