The Dungeness River is relatively short (31.9 miles) and steep. It drains a watershed of 172,517 acres (270 mi2), emptying into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Dungeness is a bimodal flow river, showing two peaks over the course of the year: a smaller December peak associated with winter storm flows, and a larger June peak associated with snowmelt and spring runoff. The Dungeness-Quilcene Water Resources Management Plan Plan (1994) states "the variability of flows is a major problem in the Dungeness River. There is relatively little storage in the upper watershed, so that current-year precipitation directly controls runoff...and the rain shadow location exacerbates the late-summer low flow." The USFS (Dungeness Area Watershed Analysis Cooperative Team 1995) discusses how vegetation management can moderate flow variability-for example, snowfall through canopy cover is protected on the forest floor from rapid melt and runoff, and water retention is increased.
Human activity within the lower Dungeness River (RM 0.0 to 10.5) has altered natural river processes, and as a result, river morphology. Bountry et al. (2002) discuss how various human alterations to the Dungeness River have impacted physical process. The Bountry report identifies six primary human activities responsible for river alterations:
-Construction of levees
-Clearing of riparian vegetation
-Construction of highway and railroad bridges
-Construction of riverbank protection structures
-Gravel extractions
-Water diversions
- From the Elwha-Dungeness Management Plan