Watershed Management Plan - Mason County

Appendix
A Sub-basin Summaries
Skokomish Sub-basin
The Skokomish sub-basin is approximately 240 square miles and drains
rivers from the eastern slopes of the Olympic Mountains to the southern
shores of Hood Canal and Annas Bay. The Skokomish River, with its 80
miles of main stem and over 260 miles of tributaries, empties into a tidal
estuary and delta that are the largest in the Hood Canal basin. The river
enters the Great Bend, or “elbow,” of Hood Canal, between the rural towns
of Potlatch and Union. There are four independent Hood Canal tributaries
in the sub-basin, located to the north of the Skokomish delta: Minerva
Creek, Potlatch State Park Creek, Enetai Creek, and an unnamed Creek
near the Canal Side Diner.
Land use in the sub-basin is managed primarily for hydropower, agriculture,
and forestry.
Discussion of the Skokomish sub-basin will include discussion of findings
particular to the North Fork, South Fork, and Main Stem of the Skokomish
River. These sections of the river are described in more detail below.
• The North Fork of the Skokomish River drains an area of nearly
120 square miles. The North Fork originates in the Mount
Skokomish/Mount Stone area of Olympic National Park and flows
east through heavily forested terrain into the Cushman and Kokanee
Reservoirs before joining the main stem. Most of the water
contained in the Cushman Reservoir goes to the City of Tacoma’s
power generating facility and is discharged into Hood Canal, rather
than through the Skokomish River. Approximately 1,000 people
(2000 census) live in the area, with almost one third concentrated
along the shores of Lake Cushman (Golder Associates, 2003).
• The South Fork of the Skokomish River originates in the Olympic
National Park and contributes the majority of the Skokomish River’s
current flow. The primary land use in the basin is forestry; the U.S.
Forest Service manages 80% of the basin and the Green Diamond
Resource Company owns approximately 13%. Over half (60%) of
the basin has been logged since the 1920s; 40% is currently old
growth forest and alpine vegetation (WCC, 2003).
• The main stem of the Skokomish River flows nine miles between
the junction of the North and South Forks to Annas Bay and the
Great Bend in the Hood Canal. The main stem of the Skokomish
River flows through a wide, fertile valley supporting rural hobby
farms, rural residential development, agriculture, hay and Christmas
tree production, and the Skokomish Tribal Reservation.
Approximately 1,350 people live in the main stem basin (Golder
Associates, 2003). Tributaries to the main stem of the Skokomish
River include Purdy Creek, Weaver Creek, Hunter Creek, and Richert
page 80 Final Plan for County Adoption – May 11, 2006