Numerous significant floodplain restoration and protection projects have occurred in the Lower Dungeness within the past few years. More than 200 acres of lost floodplain has just been reclaimed, old levees and other infrastructure has been removed, additional floodplain parcels protected, fish passage fixed and placement of engineered log jams. More than $20 million worth of work has occurred. There is no monitoring funding provided. This is a tremendous lost opportunity if funding is not secured soon to monitor changes and impacts of these large-scale restoration actions.

We need to assess instream habitat and channel conditions such as also looking at water quality, habitat access, flow/hydrology and watershed conditions. We propose to use regularly collected smolt trap and other data collection by the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and WDFW, along with robust viable genetic sampling to help learn which habitat reaches are most productive for salmon. This work will be designed by scientists working in collaboration with local restoration practitioners and scientists.

This is a tremendous opportunity to capture information, answer scientific questions and learn from the environmental changes occurring as a result of large-scale and ongoing habitat restoration. This indepth monitoring and analysis will let us know where we are at in terms of habitat recovery in the Dungeness, how this work has impacted various stocks, what habitats are most productive for salmon, changes in climate resilency, etc. Remote sensing data, environmental DNA(eDNA) and aerial surveys may be needed. There is interest in making sure similar habitat is available in the Upper Dungeness. Of particular interest is whether the lower reach improvements result in more fish accessing the upper habitat.

The WA State Statute which created the Salmon Recovery process speaks to the need for such monitoring. Monitoring is an important component of restoration but is unfortunately treated and funded as "other". It is time to take a critical look at where we are at in terms of restoration and what steps are still needed to better reach our recovery goals.