By James Robinson

Local government and environmental management agencies have teamed up to identify and find solutions to Chimacum Creek drainage issues, and the public is invited to participate in the discussion.

On Tuesday, March 19, staff from the Jefferson County Conservation District, working with Jefferson County commissioners and Washington State University Extension staff, will host the third session in a series of recent focus groups designed to explain and assess current creek conditions, while looking toward future management options.

The March 19 session begins at 6:30 p.m.at the WSU Extension office, 97 Oak Bay Rd. in Port Hadlock.

“Chimacum Creek is a highly modified stream with many miles of drainage ditches,” said Joe Holtrup, district manager of the Jefferson County Conservation District. “Most of the drainage work was undertaken by the Chimacum Drainage District in the 1920s – the district was formed in 1919. The drainage district has been inactive (but existing) since 1974. Drainage maintenance and management work since then has been left to individual landowners, which is very problematic, because effective drainage management must be done comprehensively.”

Holtrup explained the new management plan seeks to provide a comprehensive, multi-agency management strategy that benefits farmers, local agriculture, salmon and wetlands.

“By having a management plan that the permitting agencies help develop, permits are easier to acquire, especially if the work is implemented by reputable and trusted organizations,” Holtrup said. “Also, habitat, particularly salmonid and wetland habitat, is highly degraded throughout most of the watershed. Drainage system improvements could result in better farmland and better habitat. That's the goal.”

As currently proposed, the management plan includes drainage and flood control measures and ecosystem restoration.

“A revitalized drainage district, and/or other tools identified through this process, have the potential to improve conditions for agriculture and habitat in both forks of Chimacum Creek,” said Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Jefferson County Commissioner. “Issues like the influx of reed canary grass in these drainages has caused a number of problems related to both ag and habitat. Short’s Farm is at the crux of a number of these issues. By working towards community solutions to issues in the watershed, we can support and improve our agricultural economy while improving habitat conditions.”

The Chimacum Creek Watershed is located in the far northeastern side of the Olympic Peninsula in East Jefferson County. The watershed slopes in a Y-shape, with the main stem draining north to Admiralty Inlet. The creek is easily seen from Center Valley Road as its course bisects many agricultural properties in Chimacum Valley. The creek is prone to winter flooding and provides habitat for trumpeter swans.

Chimacum Creek is comprised of two forks, one east and one west. The combined length is about 30 miles. The low-gradient creeks drain approximately 37 square miles of land, forming the largest drainage basin on the Quimper Peninsula.

Many of the stream’s current issues stem from management practices dating back to the 1800s when valley forests were converted to farmland. In 1919, and in an attempt to harness the full agricultural potential of the valley, area residents created the Chimacum Drainage District. Between 1920 and 1950, the stream was straightened, ditches dug, and reed canary grass was planted as forage for livestock. In the 1960s, beavers were introduced. By the 1970s the drainage district became inactive and maintenance was left to landowners. Since the 1990s, efforts have focused on riparian restoration and salmon habitat.

During a period of decades, reed canary grass has infested and choked the stream bed, the watershed regularly floods, and the stream has suffered various water-quality issues, such as low oxygen levels and E. coli spikes related to the proximity of cattle grazing operations. Recent planning efforts are part of a local push to revitalize the watershed for drainage, flood control, agricultural development, and ecosystem restoration.

“Anyone with an interest in agricultural and habitat issues in the Chimacum watershed would benefit from being part of this discussion,” Eisenhour said. “We are particularly interested in hearing from landowners in the Beaver and Chimacum Valleys, and specifically owning land contained in Jefferson County Drainage District #1 (also known as the Chimacum Drainage District).”