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Hoh river in Washington's Olympic Peninsula

Hoh river in Washington's Olympic Peninsula

Programs

Olympic PenninsulaSalmon Strongholds

The Olympic Peninsula is an important stronghold for salmon and trout native to the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. The Hoh River represents one of the best remaining chances to protect wild salmon and their ecosystems in the contiguous 48 states. The glacially-fed Hoh and its tributaries produce some of the most abundant and healthy wild salmon, trout, and steelhead stocks remaining in Washington. Over half of this watershed lies within the Olympic National Park, a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

The Hoh River Basin

We rank the Hoh Basin as a high priority based on an evaluation of the following indicators of conservation value:

  • Distribution and Relative Abundance (percentage of the available habitat used by salmon and steelhead, and the population abundance relative to basin size)
  • Species Richness (diversity of species)
  • Representativeness (species diversity typical of biogeographic region)
  • Uniqueness (containing unusual or endemic species or races)
  • High ratio of protected to unprotected lands (small incremental investment needed to protect ecosystem)
Olympic Peninsula

Washington's Olympic Peninsula

Watershed Status Fifty-six percent of the 299-square mile watershed is within Olympic National Park and protected from most human-caused ecosystem disturbance. The lower Hoh River basin has been adversely affected by the removal of large woody debris from the basin, road building, and bank stabilization. Now, with riparian protection provided by the Hoh River Trust and the Western Lands Conservancy, the Hoh is one of the strongest river systems for fish in the Pacific Northwest.

The Wild Salmon Center is closely working with local and regional salmon recovery groups, including representatives of state, federal, and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions to share best practices and lessons-learned. Through these partnerships the Wild Salmon Center is engaging a diverse group of stakeholders in an effort to protect and restore West Olympic Peninsula salmon and their ecosystems.

Hatchery Influences Although the Hoh Tribe releases 100,000 hatchery steelhead smolts annually, and there is evidence of some out-of-basin straying from other hatchery salmon and steelhead, the influence of hatchery practices is small.

Accomplishments In summer 2004 and spring 2005, biologists John McMillan and James Starr completed their fifth consecutive season of surveys in the Hoh River basin. In the course of their study, they conduct extensive habitat and salmon population mapping through remote areas to snorkel fifteen tributaries and side-channels.

Our scientists have reconfirmed that not all salmon habitat is equally productive. The abundance and distribution of salmonids varies across space and time; some tributaries and off-channel habitat supports a higher density of juvenile salmonids. Snorkeling over 50 percent of each stream during these intense surveys has produced a clear snapshot of salmonid population characteristics over time. The scientists also conduct winter snorkel surveys in near-freezing water to determine inter-annual variability of sites. Those sites with stable fish densities from winter to summer represent year-round refugia for juvenile salmonid rearing.

Hoh River Valley

Hoh River Valley

Species List

  • Spring/summer chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
  • Fall chinook (O. tshawytscha)
  • Coho (O. kisutch)
  • Summer steelhead (O. mykiss)
  • Winter steelhead (O. mykiss)
  • Resident rainbow trout (O. mykiss)
  • Pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), Sockeye salmon (O. nerka), Chum salmon (O. keta) (Relic or stray yet to be determined by vetting with a scientific panel)
  • Cutthroat (O. clarki)
  • Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) (listed by USFWS as threatened)