DUNGENESS – After 20 years of planning, the funding is finally in place to breach a levee near the mouth of the Dungeness River and restore 110 acres of soggy farmland back to what was once an important floodplain habitat for salmon and other wildlife.

The legislature has approved almost $3.5 million for the project, a joint effort between Clallam County, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Dungeness River Management Team, Fish and Wildlife, the Forest Service, Department of Ecology and others, all part of coalition called North Olympic Peninsula Lead Entity for Salmon. Coordinator Cheryl Baumann says the Dungeness floodplain is one of the highest priority projects in the northwest.

Native plantings and other features are being added to the area as the permitting process proceeds, thanks to a million-dollar grant from Ecology last year. Construction of a new levee along Towne and Anderson Roads will be built before the existing levee is breached.

We asked Cathy Lear with the County’s Marine Resources Committee where we are in the process.

Learn more about the Dungeness River floodplain restoration project by clicking here.

Photo: Before and planned “after” shots of the floodplain area.

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