Nisqually Delta
- Most Recent Edits
<DPL> namespace = foo category = river delta ordermethod = lastedit order = descending mode = unordered suppresserrors = true count = 5 </dynamicpagelist>
- Salish Sea References
- Ecology Shoreline Photography Viewer
- The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound provides a peer reviewed version of the wiki
- PRISM Project Search
- Washington Coastal Atlas
- UW River History Project
- Wiki Rules
- Wiki text does not reflect the policy or opinion of any agency or organization
- Please adhere to our Social Contract and Style Guide
- Complain here, and be nice.
Nearshore Strategies Data Report
Cereghino et al 2012 completed a soundwide analysis to identify and describe river delta sites in Puget Sounds as part of a nearshore ecosystem restoration strategy (using remote sensing data c. 2000-2006). The following narrative of this delta site was developed to support distribution and use of analysis results:
- The Nisqually Delta in the South Sound sub-basin historically contained 2,502 acres of vegetated wetland along a 20 km shoreline. The delta receives flow from a 214,377 square kilometer watershed. These characteristics make this system the 5th largest delta out of 16 systems in Puget Sound.
- Simenstad et al 2011 found that this system had lost 77% of its vegetated tidal wetlands, and 68% of its shoreline length. Of the remaining shoreline, 73% shows some evidence of infrastructure development. In the surrounding uplands, 17% of land is estimated to have greater than 10% impervious surface. Across the watershed, 25% of land is estimated to have greater than 10% impervious surface. Based on these paramters, the site was given a degradation score of 52 out of 100, making it the 5th most degraded delta in Puget Sound. It faces a medium risk of future development locally, and a medium risk of development across the watershed. Approximately 44% of the watershed is currently impounded behind dams.
Restoration Efforts and Issues
- The Nisqually Refuge Restoration and Red Salmon Slough Restoration have largely restored historical tidal flow in the Nisqually Delta.
- While these projects removed river levee, The Nisqually Refuge dike and I-5 causeway constrain how freshwater, fish and sediment enter the delta.
- The Alder Dam impounds river sediment from a portion of the Nisqually basin, limiting sediment that reaches the delta.
Workgroups
- The Nisqually Delta is part of WRIA 11 which is the subject of multiple management efforts. The Delta is a key component of the Nisqually Salmon Recovery Plan. The Nisqually Tribe serves as the Lead Entity Coordinator for WRIA 11.
- The Nisqually Reach Nature Center supports environmental education and citizen science.
- The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the USFWS.
- USGS and Nisqually Indian Tribe have been providing leadership on monitoring the site, with USGS focussed on delta sediment dynamics and vegetation and the Tribe focussed on delta salmon utilization
Monitoring
- USGS Nisqually Delta Restoration] provides a web archive of project site information.
- USFWS, USGS SF Bay Station, USGS CHIPS Team, Nisqually Indian Tribe are collaborating in ongoing monitoring of system wide response to restoration.
- Ellings 2011 provides an early overview of monitoring strategy
- Takekawa & Woo 2013 is a recent proposal for monitoring to ESRP
Assessments
All Nisqually Delta Content
|
Wiki Pages <DPL> Category=River Delta category=nisqually ordermethod=sortkey namespace=foo order=ascending mode=unordered suppresserrors=true </DynamicPageList> |
Uploaded Files <DPL> Category=River Delta category=nisqually notcategory=image ordermethod=sortkey namespace=file order=ascending mode=unordered suppresserrors=true </DynamicPageList> |
<DPL> Category=River Delta category=nisqually category=image ordermethod=sortkey namespace=file order=ascending mode=gallery suppresserrors=true </DynamicPageList>
