Skokomish Tribe

The Skokomish Tribe began as the Twana Indians, made up of nine communities living in and around the Hood Canal drainage basin.

Skokomish Area of Concern:

The tribe focuses restoration efforts in the Skokomish-Dosewallips basin (WRIA 16). Land use in this basin is concentrated along Hood Canal, since much of the remaining land falls under federal jurisdiction. Expanding development is a concern, especially as water demand increases. Aggressive timber harvesting in the last 15 years has left the watershed in need of serious restoration work. Both the Skokomish River and Hood Canal have elevated fecal coliform levels, which are partly attributable to agricultural practices in the surrounding watershed.

Natural Resource Management:

• The tribe has been monitoring the Skokomish River estuary since a serious restoration effort in 2010. An area covering 219 acres was targeted, but the monitoring includes an additional 130 acres restored in 2007. Seining will help tribal scientists keep tabs on Chinook, chum, and coho salmon as they return to the area, as well as other species.
• In southern Hood Canal, the tribe is looking in the stomachs of juvenile salmon. By flushing out the contents using a water pick, scientists are able to determine what the salmon are eating. By pulling salmon from 52 different locations over 400 acres, the biologists can compare diets across the tidelands and gain insight into the invertebrate population.
• In April of 2012, the tribe, in collaboration with the Mason Conservation District, finished installing over 200 large pieces of woody debris in the Skokomish Tideland. Development of good salmon habitat relies on debris that floats downstream. In the estuary, logging and dikes have prevented the buildup of woody material for the last 80 years. To decide where to place the logs and rootwads, the tribe looked at aerial photos from 1938.
• In 2011, the tribe completed five years of a steelhead supplementation project, focused on rivers draining into Hood Canal. The effort is designed to last 16 years in total, and involves extensive sampling of egg nests. Eggs are collected from the healthiest nests in mid-summer and travel to the McKernana Hatchery. After two years, the tribe releases smolts back into the river.

Map of Tribal Lands

Skokomish Tribe
North 80 Tribal Center Rd.
Shelton, WA 98584
(360) 426-4232
FAX: (360) 877-5943

Natural Resources Center
(360) 877-2110

Fisheries Office
North 541 Tribal Center Rd.
Shelton, WA 98584
(360) 877-5213
FAX: (360) 877-5148

Tribal Chair: Charles “Guy” Miller
Website: http://www.skokomish.org/

source: NWIFC