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Ecological setting Ellsworth Creek is a small coastal watershed comprised of coniferous forests, a freshwater stream system, and an associated tidal estuary. The watershed contains forests representing two ecological systems; the North Pacific hypermaritime Sitka spruce forest and the North Pacific hypermaritime western red-cedar-western hemlock forest (Natural Heritage Program) and contains several small remnant patches of old-growth forest (total approx. 130 ha). These remnants represent some of the largest old-growth forest stands remaining within the Willapa Bay region of southwest Washington. The Ellsworth Creek Preserve strategically bridges protected forested habitats within the adjacent 6,000 hectare Willapa National Wildlife Refuge and the 225 hectare Washington Department of Natural Resources Ellsworth Creek Natural Resource Conservation Area (NRCA). These conservation areas, together with the nearby 987 hectare South Nemah NRCA, Bear River restoration project (www.pacific.fws.gov/jobs/wwojitw/index.htm), and Chinook River restoration project (www.searesources.org) create a large forest, freshwater, and estuarine conservation complex of approximately 32,780 hectares in South Willapa Bay. Old-growth forest habitats within Ellsworth Creek contain many species of state and federal concern including the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), and a number of invertebrate (e.g., mollusks and millipedes), lichen, and fungi species. The freshwater aquatic system contains one of the highest spawning densities of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in the Willapa Bay watershed with close to 8,000 fish reported over a 1.9 km index reach in 2002. Although abundant populations of Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) are reported, systematic inventories of most fish species have not been completed in the watershed. Freshwater and terrestrial habitats, particularly headwater tributary systems, also support abundant populations of numerous amphibian species including Cope’s giant salamander (Dicamptodon copei), Columbia torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton kezeri), Dunn’s salamander (Plethodon dunni), Van Dyke’s salamander (Plethodon vandykei), and the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei). Historic threats to Ellsworth Creek’s biological diversity
remain from decades of logging activity, including the loss of mature
and old-growth forest structure, habitat fragmentation, invasive species,
and sedimentation and altered hydrology related to extensive forest
road systems and logging. Forests within the Ellsworth Creek watershed
have been managed for timber production since the early 1900s and
now less than 7 percent of its original old-growth or unmanaged forests
remain. Moreover, these young-managed forests are now dissected with
over 120 km of forest road. The Conservancy in partnership with the
Willapa National Wildlife Refuge has produced a forest management
plan that outlines forest restoration actions for the next 20 year
period following an adaptive management framework, including active
forest thinning and forest road removal.
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