The Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) program has been adopted by the SRFB as a key part of its validation monitoring program. The IMW program is designed to assess the effects of watershed scale restoration on fish production. The IMW study plan identifies clusters of watersheds around the state where watershed scale restoration is or will occur as well as watershed where no restoration will occur (control). There are currently 4 IMW study watersheds in Washington: 1) lower Columbia, 2) Hood Canal, 3) Strait of Juan de Fuca (SJF), and 4) Skagit estuary. The SJF complex includes two treatment (East Twin and Deep Creek) and one control (West Twin)watershed. This cluster of watersheds is arguably the most important to the overall project because of the commitment of project partners to science based restoration and long term fish production monitoring.

In 2014, the SRFB established a stand alone grant procedure for funding restoration actions in the IMW watersheds. That process encourages IMW restoration projects to apply for funding within the structure of the regions lead entity. The project will be ranked and scored within that lead entity and forwarded to the SRFB for potential funding. A total of up to 2 million dollars has been reserved to fund those restoration projects from IMW watershed in any given year.