Tahuya River Preserve
Spanning a mile of riverfront, the Tahuya River Preserve protects important salmon habitat, floodplain hardwood forests, and towering firs overlooking the valley. Only a few miles from the mouth of the river – the largest in eastern Hood Canal – this property was a high priority for its significance to salmon runs and restoration potential. Both Hood Canal summer chum and chinook salmon use the Tahuya River watershed and are listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
In collaboration with the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, this former horse farm will be restored to a natural floodplain. Reconnecting the river to this wide floodplain is not only critical for habitat, but will abate downstream flooding, and remove tons of sediment that bury salmon redds (nests for salmon eggs). Great Peninsula Conservancy acquired this property in July 2023 with funding from the Washington Department of Ecology Streamflow grant and the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board.
Project Partners
Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office: Salmon Recovery Funding Board
Washington Department of Ecology Streamflow Grant
