North Fork Skokomish River - Little Falls

Contact

On Jan. 12, 2009, Tacoma Power, the Skokomish Tribe and state and federal agencies signed a settlement agreement that resolves a $5.8 billion damages claim and long-standing disputes over the terms of a long-term license for Cushman Hydroelectric Project. 

The Fisheries and Habitat Committee is a resource agency group that is considering the improvement of salmon passage options around Little Falls on the North Fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County.  Group members carry out the Cushman Settlement Agreement, signed in 2009.  One of the long term objectives is to provide salmon passage around both Cushman Dams so fish can use the upper Skokomish River watershed which reaches into the Olympic National Park.

 Group members include representatives from:

• Tacoma Power

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• National Marine Fisheries Service

• U.S. Forest Service

• Bureau of Indian Affairs

• Skokomish Indian Tribe

• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

• Washington Department of Ecology

Preliminary investigations of water elevations, bottom contours, and boulders at different flows began in January, 2012 and will continue into the summer.  Video of flows at different times of the year will be provided on this page for comparison.

For more information:

• Cushman Hydro Project - Tacoma Power - includes links to highlights of the agreements, map showing locations of improvements, timeline, fisheries, recreation and wildlife, river flows and lake levels, and the settlement agreement signed with Skokomish Tribe

• USGS Streamflow - Skokomish Basin - Real-time Sites