Brief Wildlife & Illahee Creek Update
Salmon. Salmon are still around and can be seen jumping, in spite of all the seals and sea lions in the area. We are hoping they are hanging around to go up Illahee Creek, but they are probably going to find it difficult, as we will describe below.
Barking. Barking can still be heard at all hours of the evening and less often during the day, only it isn't your neighbors dog, it is coming from the sea lions out in the bay.
Illahee Creek.
1. The Illahee Creek culvert has essentially failed, in our opinion. It filled up with sediment after the last storm such that the vertical opening at the inlet was 19 inches and only 5 inches reported at the outlet. The county cleared an approximate 15 foot section downstream of the outlet on Monday (12/17/07) in hopes that the sediment inside the culvert will wash into the newly created depression. It will likely be a process that will take months of monitoring and cleaning, barring any new major storms.
2. Salmon passage is unlikely since the storm filled the stream channel with sediment causing the stream to free flow over the estuary in a number of places. Several channels seem to be developing and with the rain more channels have appeared. The most surprising is a channel that is draining to the south which goes in front of Louie's house which is evident as the chocolate brown water flowing south out of the estuary. The estuary house seems rather vulnerable to the stream at this point. We hope the county is not liable for permitting the house to be built on a flood plain and in a channel migration zone.
3. On Wednesday we will try to locate the source of the sediment laden water as it is often the indicater of a slide along the creek corridor.
Jim Aho
ps Some have asked how to electronically sign Mike Nicolaus's letter to the Kitsap Sun. If you responded to the email that you supported the letter we copied your response to an electronic signature sheet. The current count is ~50 signatures.
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