Port Gamble Ecosystem

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The Port Gamble Ecosystem is a bay located in northwesternmost Kitsap Peninsula. The mouth of the bay is flanked by the Port Gamble communitya and mill on the west, and the Port Gamble Indian Reservation on the east. At the head of the bay, drift cells 2072 and 2073 converge at the estuarine complex at the mouths of Gamble and Martha John creeks. Drift Cells 2074 and 2075 converge at the barrier lagoon at Point Julia, which is the fishing port of the Port Gamble tribal community of New Boston. Drift cells 2071 and 2002 converge at the Port Gamble mill site on Teekalet Point, where significant fill has narrowed the mouth of the bay. In addition to six salmon bearing streams, the bay contains forage fish spawning including a distinct herring spawning population, and shell fish resources.

• Map in Habitat Work Schedule

Notes

• Kitsap Forest and Bay effort is a consortium effort to preserve forest and wetlands around Port Gamble Bay.
• The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe with approximately 1,200 members have lived here since time immemmorial. Currently a 1,700 acre reservation surrounding Point Julia is held in federal trust, as part of the Point No Point Treaty
• The Tribe appears to manage a website dedicated to the bay at [1]
• Historical mill operations (1853-1997) resulted in significant accumulation of logs, bark, and sawdust, reducing the productivity and biodiversity of the bay bottom. The Port Gamble area is the object of a Puget Sound Initiative cleanup effort led by WDOE.
• A large proportion of NW Kitsap Peninsula fish bearing waters flow into Port Gamble Bay--six streams are documented by Kuttel 2003.
• There are both viable clam and geoduck shellfish fisheries present in the bay--uncommon in enclosed waters.
• Stick & Lindquist 2009 reports that while the Port Gamble Herring stock has historically been one of the largest in Puget Sound, with spawning concentrated in Port Gamble Bay, the stock appears to have declined since 2000.
• Both sandlance and surf smelt beach spawning is reported is several areas along the bay.
• Old log yarding infrastructure is reported to provide seal haulouts along the west shore of the bay.
• Kitsap County has led acquisition of forested parcels on the west shoreline.
  • Kitsap Forest and Bay Project (PRISM)
  • WWRP application for Port Gamble Ride - a mountain bike park.
• Kitsap Conservation District has led projects to:
  • acquire conservation easements around Martha John Creek PRISM Contract)
  • complete restoration on Gamble Creek (PRISM Contract)
• [[Great Peninsula Conservancy led a project to develop a stewardship plan for Martha John Creek (Habitat Work Schedule Record)