Chehalis Basin Salmon Restoration and Preservation Strategy
The ultimate goal of the Chehalis Lead Entity is to help implement on-the-ground, community supported, salmon recovery projects in the Chehalis watershed. We do this by developing, planning and prioritizing salmon restoration and preservation projects that follow the guidance of the Chehalis Basin Salmon Habitat Restoration and Preservation Strategy.
Lead Entity Strategy 
Citation: “Grays Harbor County Lead Entity Habitat Work Group (2011). The Chehalis Basin Salmon Habitat Restoration and Preservation Strategy for WRIA 22 and 23. Grays Harbor County. 100 W Broadway, Montesano, WA 98563.” Download Lead Entity Strategy here
Lead Entity Strategy 2021 Updates. The Lead Entity’s approach to salmon habitat preservation has only been improving since 2011, and there is new science and resources, too. This documents includes replacements for Strategy chapters updated since 2011:
Section 4; Section 9; Section 10
Download Updates Here.
Sub-Watershed Management Unit Documents
Each subwatershed in the Chehalis has different characteristics, and therefore different needs for recovering priority salmon stocks. These documents provide details on each sub-basin that will help Sponsors develop their project, and teach local residents about priorities for salmon recovery in their local stream.
Sub-Basin Needed Restoration Actions: Summary
Black River Management Unit ; Black River Porter Creek
Boistfort Chehalis River (Upper); Chehalis River South Fork ; Lake Creek ;Stillman Creek
Chehalis Mainstem Management Unit ;Chehalis River (Mainstem)
Cloquallum Management Unit;Cloquallum Creek
Grays Harbor Estuary Management Unit;Grays Harbor Estuary
Hoquiam-Wishkah Management Unit; Hoquiam River ; Wishkah River
Humptulips Management Unit; Humptulips River
Lincoln Management Unit ; Lincoln Creek; Independence Creek ; Garrard Creek; Gaddis Creek;Rock / Williams Creek Bunker Creek ; Scammon Creek,;Mill Creek, ;Stearns Creek
Newaukum Management Unit;Newaukum River Newaukum River North Fork & Tributaries; Newaukum River South Fork & Tributaries; Newaukum River Middle Fork & Tributaries ; Salzer Creek; Coal Creek;;Dillenbaugh Creek ;Berwick Creek;
China Creek
Satsop Management Unit Satsop River ;Satsop River West Fork; Satsop River Middle; Fork ; Satsop River East Fork
Skookumchuck River Management Unit; Skookumchuck River; Scatter Creek
South Bay Management Unit ; South Bay Tributaries
Wynoochee River Management Unit Summary
Chehalis Lead Entity Conceptual Project Form
Do you have a salmon recovery project idea, but don’t have all the details worked out yet? Fill out our form and submit it to the Chehalis Lead Entity and we’ll help you get this project ready for implementation.
2022 Conceptual Project Form Use this form to fill out basic details about the type of project you would like to do. Send the form back to the Lead Entity Coordinator. Conceptual Project Form CBLE 2022
SRFB Grants – Materials for Sponsors
Manual 18 All the information you will need to prepare your application here.
2023 SRFB Grant Schedule Includes deadlines for draft and final versions of your Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) proposal. Dates and information are also available on this website’s Calendar. 2023 Grant Round Timeline
Project Scoring Guidance
Chehalis Lead Entity Project Scoring Reference Sheet The Local Review Team uses this guide when ranking your project. This document provides guidance on what makes a high ranking project.
Chehalis Lead Entity Scoring Matrix
Chehalis Lead Entity Project Scoring Reference Guide
Acquisition Guidance. New guidance has been provided for Acquisition Projects to help both sponsors and reviewers. See detailed Acquisition guidance here.
Application Workshop Materials:
Pre-Application Workshop – Part 1
Pre-Application Workshop – Part 2
Stream Habitat Restoration Guidelines Comprehensive document that includes guidelines for developing stream habitat restoration projects. Large file size, so download online: http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01374/wdfw01374.pdf
DNR Aquatic Lands Map of aquatic lands for assistance in determining which permits are needed. DNR Aquatic Lands – 2015
Aquatic Species Restoration Plan
The Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP), a part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy, is a comprehensive strategy for restoring aquatic species habitat in the Chehalis Basin - for fish, amphibians, and other aquatic dependent species. Click here to read more about the ASRP on the Chehalis Strategy website (http://chehalisbasinstrategy.com/asrp/).
Funding is available in 2021 to support restoration, protection, and project development proposals that further the goals in the ASRP.
ASRP Projects
Access the website to download the Request for Qualifications for project sponsors. Information about how this funding program is structured and how to get involved. Link to project implementation website.
Water Type Assessments
Water Type Assessments and Interactive Maps
Studies Done in the Chehalis Basin
Integrated Analysis of Limiting Factors and Opportunities for Improvement of Chehalis Salmon and Steelhead, 2023. Research by Ray Beamesderfer, Fish Sciences Solutions, Inc.
Link to report.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife – Chehalis Wildlife Species and Habitat Research. These studies were completed with funds from the Chehalis Strategy between 2013 and 2018. Many of the research projects are currently ongoing. Link to reports.
Run-Type Composition of Juvenile Chinook in the Upper Chehalis Basin 2020. Gilbertson et. al. Link to report.
Salmonid Upper Extent research by Walther et al, 2021. Research using modeling to determine the upper extent of salmonid use in the Chehalis basin Link to report.
Summer Distribution of Salmonids in the South Fork Newaukum, 2016. Research by WDFW. Link to report.
Grays Harbor Juvenile Fish Use. The data synthesized here can provide citizens and local, state and federal scientists and managers with a method to identify and prioritize habitat acquisition, restoration, and conservation projects within the Grays Harbor Estuary. Link to Study Website. 2015 Grays Harbor Estuary Conservation Plan
Olympic Mudminnow These two scientific publications provide information about this endemic fish species, its habitat use, and conservation challenges. Link to research: Kuehne & Olden, 2016; Kuehne & Olden, 2014
Grays Harbor College Summer Research Projects. These research projects were completed by Grays Harbor College students under the mentorship of a professor or outside researcher. Each project relates to the health of the Chehalis River or its tributaries. Link to research here
Organizational Documents
Bylaws. The Chehalis Basin Lead Entity Bylaws were last updated on December 4, 2017.
Habitat Work Group Minutes
2024 Meeting Minutes
January 2024
2023 Meeting Minutes
January 2023
February 2023
March 2023
April 2023
May 2023
June 2023
July 2023
August 2023
September 2023
November 2023
December 2023
2022 Meeting Minutes
January 2022
February 2022
March 2022
April 2022
May 2022
June 2022
July 2022
August 2022
September 2022
October 2022
November 2022
December 2022
2021 Meeting Minutes
January 2021
February 2021
March 2021
April 2021
June 2021
July 2021
August 2021
September 2021
October 2021
November 2021
December 2021
2020 Meeting Minutes
January 2020
February 2020
March 2020
April 2020
May 2020
June 2020
July 2020
August 2020
September 2020
October 2020
November 2020_
2019 Meeting Minutes
January 2019
February 2019
March 2019
April 2019
May 2019
June 2019
July 2019
August 2019
September 2019
October 2019
November 2019
December 2019
2018 Meeting Minutes
January 2018
February 2018
March 2018
April 2018
June 2018
August 2018
September 2018
October 2018
December 2018
2017 Meeting Minutes
January 2017
February 2017
March 2017
April 2017
June 2017
July 2017
August 2017
September 2017
October 2017
November 2017
December 2017
2016 Meeting Minutes
January 2016
February 2016
March 2016
April 2016
June 2016
August 2016
September 2016
October 2016
November 2016
December 2016
2015 Meeting Minutes
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
June 2015
August 2015
September 2015
October 2015
November 2015
December 2015
2014 Meeting Minutes
January 2014
February 2014
March 2014
April 2014 June 2014 August 2014
September 2014
October 2014
2013 Meeting Minutes
January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
April 2013
August 2013
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
December 2013
2012 Meeting Minutes
January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
June 2012
November 2012
December 2012
2011 Meeting Minutes
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
June 2011
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
2010 Meeting Minutes
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
August 2010
Web-Maps
These online maps provide valuable data to support stream habitat restoration and protection -- in an interactive format!. The most up-to-date maps for the Chehalis Basin are available here.
Chehalis Fish Passage Barrier Prioritization Tool.
A comprehensive map of all fish passage blockages in the Chehalis Basin with data that allows an assessment of their priority for correction. Created by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Beaver Dam Analog Site selection tool.
Check out this new tool for locating good places to construct structures that mimic beaver dams (BDAs) in the Chehalis here. Created by Wild Fish Conservancy and WDFW.
Satsop-Wynoochee Tributary Assessment.
This tool will help find good locations for instream habitat restoration projects that improve connection of streams to their historic floodplain, thus improving water quality, water quantity, and habitat.
Climate Adaptation for Habitat Restoration. This tool shows how coastal streams will look different under a changing climate. Categories are “flashy”, “winter storm”, “summer drought” and “moderate.” Information provided by the Coast Salmon Partnership.
Chehalis Basin Partnership – Streamflow Restoration Act Planning Tool.
This map includes locations of Permit Exempt Wells expected to be built in Chehalis Basin in the next 20 years, as well as expected increases in consumptive waters use. Created by Northwest Hydraulic Consultants for the Chehalis Basin Partnership.
EDT for the Chehalis Basin.
Newaukum Pilot Watershed Web-Map.
Splash Dam and Stream Clean-out Inventory.
Past forestry practices still affect stream health today. Learning where these history stream-cleaning activities took place can help in designing appropriate restoration actions.
Humptulips Watershed
Culvert Assessments
Undersized and perched culverts are a major barrier to salmon migration in the Chehalis Watershed. A number of different agencies have inventoried and identified the culverts in the watershed. These culvert assessments, available below, give details on the culverts’ location and condition.
Centralia and Chehalis Area Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Upper Chehalis Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Independence & Garrard Creek Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Hoquiam Mason Conservation District Report
Lincoln and Scammon Creek Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Humtuplips Mason Conservation District Report
Middle Chehalis Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Satsop Mason Conservation District Report
Newaukum Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Wilson Creek Mason Conservation District Report
Skookumchuck Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Wishkah Mason Conservation District Report
South Fork Chehalis Lewis County Conservation District Report Map
Wynoochee Mason Conservation District Report
Stearns Creek Map
Fish Passage Inventory in portion of WRIA 22 in Grays Harbor County Mason Conservation District Report
Washington Coast Strategy
The Chehalis River drains to the Pacific Ocean, and has much in common with other watersheds along Washington's Coast. The Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan addresses salmon recovery for all of these watersheds.
The Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan’s vision is: “All watersheds in the Washington Coast Region containing healthy, diverse and self-sustaining populations of salmon maintained by healthy habitats and ecosystems which also support the ecological, cultural, social and economic needs of human communities.” This plan was developed by the Coast Salmon Partnership. Download Plan