DESCRIPTION
Along the Dungeness River downstream
of river mile (RM) 11, landowners have removed woody riparian vegetation from approximately 20% of the riverbank. Some stretches of
riverbanks are significantly denuded.Problem areas occur throughout the reforestation
project reach - the mouth to RM 11. In
addition, infestations of invasive plants, including butterfly bush (Buddleia),
Himalayan blackberry and Japanese knotweed, are frequently found in the river corridor between the mouth and
approximately RM 16. These infestations can be shockingly large. For example,in 2022 the Tribe used excavators and
dump trucks to remove a full acre of impenetrable riparian Himalayan blackberry
thickets along a mile of river at Rivers Edge.The riparian restoration project is a long-term investment in the river.
It involves three interrelated actions: eliminate
or control noxious weeds, plant non-forested sites with appropriate shrubs and trees,
and maintain the sites untilthe desired forestcommunities have become established (5 years or more). The riparian invasive plant control and reforestation project site
extends from the river mouth to RM 16. The riparian restoration partners – the Tribe,
North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC), Clallam County, and the Clallam
Conservation District – have been working on projects since 2020.