Publication Summary

The Quilcene-Snow watershed, Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 17, is located in northwest Washington State and comprises most of eastern Jefferson County, and a portion of Clallam County. This rule covers a portion of WRIA 17, mainly in Jefferson County.

The watershed is home to several important fish species including Chinook, Coho, pink and chum salmon, and steelhead, coastal cutthroat and bull trout. There are four species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA): Chinook and summer chum salmon, steelhead, and bull trout.

Low stream flows in the late summer and early fall are longstanding problems, identified as early as the 1940s by the Washington State Department of Fisheries. The Quilcene Snow watershed is facing increasing water demand for new residents and there is a strong community interest in increasing local agriculture. Water supply is especially challenging in the Chimacum sub basin because of chronic low summer flows, population growth, a large un-used water right, and the community′s substantial investment in restoration and preservation of fish habitat.