By Pepper Fisher
Port Angeles – A new eelgrass planting project at Ediz Hook is about to get under way, designed to expand forage and shelter for many fish species in Port Angeles Harbor.
The planting project will be the first restoration action implemented as part of the Port Angeles Harbor Restoration Program and is set to kick off this summer.
Funding for the project is provided by the Port Angeles Harbor Trustee Council, which includes NOAA and other federal, state, and Tribal entities. It will provide $92,000 to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to work in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) to expand eelgrass production, planting, and monitoring at the site.
Starting on May 20, PNNL staff will remove eelgrass from their outdoor tank nursery, and transport them in coolers to the restoration site, where a shore crew will attach roots to rebar segments and pass them to divers who will bury them in sediment at the correct depths underwater. Monitoring verifies that the methods are working. This funding will support continued eelgrass cultivation by PNNL and a second planting in 2026.
Pollution from industries at Western Port Angeles Harbor has degraded habitats for fish, birds, and wildlife. The Port Angeles Harbor Trustee Council has been working together to restore habitat to compensate for those injuries to the ecosystem.
(Photo of eel grass being attached to rebar before planting, courtesy of Dept. of Ecology)