The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) and the Lummi Natural Resources (LNR) Department partnered to complete a preliminary design project for LWD placement within the the lower Middle Fork Nooksack River RM 0-RM 5.2 in Whatcom County. The project will also complete modeling, geomorphic evaluation and risk analysis of the design. The project will address limiting factors for early Chinook identified in the SRFB funded 2011 Middle Fork Nooksack Habitat Assessment. NSEA and LNR worked together to survey existing stable LWD accumulations in the lower 5.2 miles of the Middle Fork Nooksack. The hope was that these naturally occurring LWD accumulations could be used as a reference to develop engineered designs for future phased LWD placement within the project reach. However, it was determined that none of the identified existing LWD accumulations was considered stable enough to be used as an anologue. Following this determination, a conceptual design using fully engineered LWD structures was completed for the entire project reach and a preliminary design was completed for Phase I approx. RM 4-RM 5 which is considered the most productive reach for early chinook.