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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 Dosewallips Delta in the Hood Canal Sub-basin historically contained 101 acres of vegetated wetland along a 5 km shoreline. The delta receives flow from a 30,409 square kilometer watershed. These characteristics make this system the 13th largest delta out of 16 systems in Puget Sound.

Simenstad et al 2011 found that this system had lost 0% of its vegetated tidal wetlands, and 48% of its shoreline length. Of the remaining shoreline, 64% shows some evidence of infrastructure development. In the surrounding uplands, 42% of land is estimated to have greater than 10% impervious surface. Across the watershed, 2% of land is estimated to have greater than 10% impervious surface. Based on these paramters, the site was given a degradation score of 29 out of 100, making it the 12th most degraded delta in Puget Sound. It faces a low risk of future development locally, and a low risk of development across the watershed. None of the watershed is currently impounded behind dams.