COVID19 Office Update

Staff are continuing to work primarily from home. Our office is open to the public by appointment only, and on our designated soil testing days, which are the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 9:00AM to 4:00PM.

We are excited to team up with several partners to host educational programs and volunteer restoration opportunities throughout the Olympic Peninsula during the week of October 5th through the 9th. These events are designed to bring awareness to the plight of the southern resident Orca whale, and aid in salmon recovery efforts since the Orca whale’s diet is comprised heavily of salmon.

Due to space limitations, registration is required for events. Driving directions to the in-person events will be provided after registration.

A Walk on the Elwha | October 5 | 1 pm - 3 pm

Join Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Clallam Conservation District staff for a walk through the former Lake Aldwell lakebed and out to the Elwha River. Participants will learn how a variety of restoration efforts, including removal of the dams, have enabled the river to return to its natural conditions, enabling native fish populations to recover. Native and cultural plant species will also be identified and discussed during the roughly two mile walk over uneven ground. 

Webinar: Lake Sutherland & Indian Creek | October 5 | 7 pm - 8 pm

Join Clallam County Environmental Health, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Clallam Conservation District staff for a webinar on the health of Lake Sutherland and Indian Creek, both of which provide vital fish habitat and contribute to fish populations in the Elwha River. Learn about past, present and future restoration activities and ways the community can become involved in these projects.

A Walk on the Dungeness | October 6 | 9 am – 11 am

Join Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Dungeness River Nature Center and Clallam Conservation District staff for a walk to the Dungeness River at Railroad Bridge Park. The Dungeness River has faced many challenges in the past century including winter flooding, low flows during summer months, and impacts to riparian habitat. Learn about past, present and future projects designed to restore this watershed, which is home to threatened Chinook salmon that southern resident Orcas routinely feed on, and how numerous native fish populations are responding to work that has been implemented. The walk will involve roughly a half-mile to a mile of walking on uneven ground. 

Planting on the Sol Duc River | October 7 | 10 am - noon

Volunteers are needed to help the Quileute Tribe and Clallam Conservation District staff plant conifer trees along the Sol Duc River and Eagle Springs, a tributary to the Sol Duc River on the Conkey Smith Family Ranch. The Quileute Tribe will also speak on restoration projects that have been done or are planned in the Quillayute River system, of which the Sol Duc is a part of, to help with salmon recovery. The spring fed channel supports spawning adult Coho and Sockeye, juvenile salmon and trout, and provides a cold water source for the main stem Sol Duc where adult salmon and steelhead hold in the summer. This riparian planting will help keep water temperatures cooler during the summer months, as well as provide long-term woody debris important to fish habitat. Please bring a shovel, trowel or other planting tool. 

Indian Creek Clean-Up | October 8 | 10 am – noon or 1 pm – 3 pm

Volunteers are needed to help Clallam County Environmental Health, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Clallam Conservation District staff remove debris from Indian Creek, the outlet for Lake Sutherland. In August over two tons of trash and thirty tires were removed by volunteers, and there is still more left to collect. Removal of this debris is important as it displaces habitat, pollutes the water, harms aquatic life, and with high flows can float down Indian Creek into the Elwha River and then into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Waders or tall boots are recommended as some of the trash is located in the creek channel.

Elwha River Planting | October 9 | 10 am – 2:30 pm (2-hour timeslots)

Volunteers are needed to help the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Clallam Conservation District staff plant over 2,000 conifer trees in the former Lake Aldwell reservoir. Removal of the lower Elwha dam in 2011 and the upper Glines Canyon Dam in 2014 opened up 35 miles of spawning habitat to Chinook salmon, as well as other fish species.

Dam removal left roughly 700 acres of former lakebeds to return to native forests. Harsh growing conditions, such as a lack of topsoil and direct exposure to wind, rain and sun, have made it a challenge to establish conifers in the old lakebeds, so these restoration plantings are crucial in order to restore the ecosystem. In time, these seedlings will provide vital shade to the river and contribute large woody debris to create excellent instream fish habitat. Come out to plant some trees and be inspired at the life returning to the Elwha watershed.

Due to the anticipated popularity of this event, staggered 2-hour timeslots with limited capacity will be offered to maximize participation while ensuring social distancing. Participants are also asked to bring a shovel, trowel or other planting tool.

2022 Native Plant Sale

Place Large Orders Now

Looking to purchase a large quantity of native plants at a discount? Place your order of 100 or more plants of the same species starting mid-August 2021 at through our Native Plants webpage. Orders may also be placed by calling us at 360-775-3747x5. These discounted bundles range in prices from $74 to $120 per 100 plants.

The deadline for placing large orders is November 1, 2021. The large orders will be available for pick-up on March 2 or March 3, 2022. Limited quantities are available at the large order pricing and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Regular Orders Starting in November

We plan to take orders for our regular sale (bundle quantities of 10 to 25) beginning on November 23, 2021 through January 23, 2022. Ordering details and pricing information will be included in our November newsletter.

Flowering native shrubs provide seeds and berries that local birds feast upon during the cold, winter months. Here are three shrubs that are popular with our native bird species:

Wintering cattle in Clallam County can be challenging with the high rainfall we receive over a relatively short timeframe. Add poorly drained soils and seasonally ponded water into the equation, and you and your cattle may face a muddy, sloppy mess for months. Here are some tips to help you and your cattle thrive during the winter months:

• Remove cattle from pastures during the winter months and confine them in a sacrifice pasture or barnyard. Allowing cattle access to pastures during the winter can result in compaction, mud, overgrazing, and pollution of seasonal streams and ditches with manure laden runoff.

• If possible, feed cattle on a concrete slab to minimize mud and provide a durable surface that manure and bedding can be periodically scrapped off. Store manure in a dry, covered location.

• Use 1-2 feet of hog-fuel (large, chipped wood that is a byproduct of logging operations and readily available locally) to build up feeding areas and barnyards that cattle are confined to during winter months.

• If you choose to use a sacrifice pasture (a sacrifice pasture is a field that is “sacrificed” to save the rest of the pastures for spring grazing), select a field that is away from streams, wetlands, ditches or ponds. Ideally, you want to choose a high and dry pasture that you can easily access for feeding and watering. Keep in mind that sacrifice pastures will need to be replanted each spring.

• Providing ample hay can help reduce nuisance behaviors such as stripping trees (cattle can damage or kill trees if allowed to chew or peel the bark) or damaging fences. Using a hay feeder, such as a round bale feeder or a wheeled trough, can significantly reduce waste hay and can be moved around a sacrifice pasture or barnyard. Be sure to provide your wintering cattle with a mineral salt block that also contains selenium, which our soils are naturally deficient of.

District planners are available to provide suggestions for overwintering cattle, free of charge. Sign up HERE to request assistance.

WSU Extension Integrated Pest
Management Specialist

WSU Extension welcomed Laurel Moulton, specializing in integrated pest management (IPM) trouble shooting for small farms with diversified cropping systems in Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap Counties. Laurel is available, free of charge, to visit farms to help identify pests and diseases and aid farmers in selecting the most effective and sustainable management tools that fit their farming philosophy. She participates in Dirt Talk conversations as an IPM specialist and looks forward to working with other Regional Small Farms Team members to offer workshops on topics most relevant to local farms. Click here to request IPM technical assistance from WSU Extension.

Volunteer Opportunity: Building a Rain Garden

On October 7 and 8 the Dungeness River Nature Center is partnering with WSU Extension and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to build a rain garden as part of the Center’s building expansion. It will protect the Dungeness River by absorbing and filtering stormwater runoff from the new roof, paved patio, and sidewalks.

Volunteers will work to plant native and water-wise plants and spread mulch. If you want to learn more about rain gardens, this hands-on experience is for you! Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, please email jenna@dungenessrivercenter.org. To learn more about rain gardens, visit WSU Extension Rain Gardens.

CONSERVATION SPONSORS

Peninsula Environmental Group - (360) 819-3081 www.peninsulaenvironmental.com

Clark Horticultural Inc - (360) 460-9178 www.ClarkHorticultural.com

Eagle Creek Tractor - (360) 683-9391

John and Kriss Seago

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