Assessment of the Intertidal Benthic Invertebrate Communities along the Shores of Central Strait of Juan de Fuca, Clallam County, Washington State Prior to the Elwha Dam Removal, 2010-2012
Andersen HB. 2013. Assessment of the Intertidal Benthic Invertebrate Communities along the Shores of Central Strait of Juan de Fuca, Clallam County, Washington State Prior to the Elwha Dam Removal, 2010-2012
The surveys presented in this report were conducted with four main objectives in mind: 1) to provide monitoring data of the intertidal benthic invertebrate communities in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca, Clallam County, covering an area of approximately 20 shoreline miles (excluding Port Angeles harbor) between Freshwater Bay to the west and Dungeness Spit to the east; 2) to collect this data before the dam removal on the Elwha River and thereby provide information on the intertidal habitats and invertebrate communities before the arrival of the sediment retained behind the two dams; 3) to compare the community data from the Elwha drift cell with the community data from the Dungeness drift cell to assess the potential impact of the shoreline alterations in the Elwha drift cell had on the intertidal benthic community; and 4) to provide an opportunity for students at the Peninsula College and Huxley on the Peninsulas and local citizens to participate in the surveys to gain hands-on field and laboratory experience. An additional objective of the study was, to the extent possible, to evaluate changes in the benthic communities over the last 30 years.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Andersen, Helle
- Date of Issue
- 2013
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- dam removal nearshore community, Elwha River Watershed, Invertebrates, Sediment Transport
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Algae