The removal of two dams on the river has introduced a massive sediment load into the nearshore environment, raising the prospect of habitat restoration in adjacent marine waters, as well as the reversal of chronic shoreline on adjacent shorelines. WSG has initiated several projects focused on understanding how best to manage habitat along this important section of shoreline and within the Elwha watershed. WSG will work with the USGS, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and others to understand habitat changes in the shallow marine waters of the Elwha coastal zone.  Additionally, WSG will collaborate with USGS and others to understand the response of the shoreline, at the drift-cell scale, to the dam removal, and use that information to inform regional and national efforts to manage natural shorelines in the face of chronic erosion and sea level rise.

For more information, contact Ian Miller

State climate change projections suggest that Washington coastal communities will bear the brunt of the physical and ecological ramifications of rising ocean temperatures, sea level rise, increased storminess and other impacts. As a result, the demand for climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans is increasing at a variety of community and governmental scales.  WSG is at the forefront of this evolving field, and will work with coastal communities to assess their vulnerabilities to climate change, develop climate change adaptation plans and implement priority actions identified in their adaptation plans.  Planned WSG approaches include: develop and offer courses on planning for climate change; develop an enhanced Carbon Masters course; facilitate or conduct vulnerability assessments for coastal communities and constituents; and promote and conduct applied research to identify coastal impacts of climate change in Washington State.  Currently, a climate change assessment (including a sea level rise and coastal flooding vulnerability assessment) is in the works in Clallam/Jefferson counties, and another is planned for Island County.  

For more information, contact Ian Miller

Hazard events like extreme storms and tsunami endanger public safety, damage property, and reduce recreational and economic opportunities. Managers can make planning and infrastructure decisions that confer resilience to coastal communities at the local level if they have adequate scientific information and tools to integrate adaptation practices into coastal planning. Local, state, federal and tribal governments have invested in hazard-related research and management; however, planning to date has been limited, and enhanced coordination is needed. To improve the resilience of Washington’s coastal communities to disaster, WSG will: work with local entities to offer training and technical assistance to build community resilience and adaptive capacity; build a statewide coastal hazard resilience network that links research and planning activities and facilitates cooperation among scientists, researchers, managers, and end-users in the public and private sectors; work with coastal communities to offer courses on coastal flood risk reduction from the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (FEMA funded); support and conduct applied research to better assess risks associated with hazards in Washington State.  As an example of this, just yesterday I was out with Carrie Garrison-Laney, a UW grad student, supporting her research to map the impacts of the 1700 tsunami in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (photo attached – examining a core collected in Port Townsend Bay to identify possible tsunami deposits).

For more information, contact Ian Miller