Quillayute River Restoration Project

04/28/2026

Friendly reminder that Quileute Natural Resources is hosting a Community Info Session tomorrow, April 29 from 5-7pm at the Ki'Tla Center Roundhouse. We hope to see you there!

04/07/2026

Quileute Natural Resources is hosting a Community Info Session on April 29 from 5-7pm at the Ki'Tla Center Roundhouse. We hope to see you there!

03/10/2026

The Quileute Tribe is continuing restoration work of the Quillayute River with the upcoming Historic Oxbow Project. It is part of a long-term restoration effort to reduce flood risk and improve salmon returns by reconnecting floodplains and restoring habitat in the Quillayute River.

Learn more about the project through the linked article:

Quileute Natural Resources (QNR) is continuing restoration of the Quillayute River with in-river construction work planned for the Historic Oxbow Reactivation and Restoration Project (Oxbow Project), anticipated to begin this summer. The Oxbow Project is part of a long-term restoration effort to red...

01/22/2026

Check out this highlight from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office of the Quileute Tribe's restoration work on the lower Quillayute River!

We’re continuing the ten-year anniversary celebration of the Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative grant. This time, we’re highlighting the Quileute Tribe's Quillayute River Restoration project.

The Tribe used a $2 million Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative grant, along with more than $500,000 in matching funds, to restore salmon habitat and address erosion at Thunder Field in La Push.

La Push is located within tsunami and coastal flood hazard zones. Flooding is an ongoing issue and is expected to increase with climate change. This poses major threats to infrastructure, salmon habitat, and Tribal fishing, which is culturally important and a source of Tribal members’ livelihoods.

The Tribe installed engineered log jams, including a log revetment to stabilize the eroding riverbank at Thunder Field. They also excavated side channels to provide off-channel habitat during high flows and built smaller wood structures for habitat enhancement.

The engineered log structures were designed to activate the river’s floodplain and spread floodwaters out across the landscape, reducing flood risks for the village of La Push as well as Olympic National Park land, downstream of the project area.

Learn more about Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative grants at the link in the comments.

Quillayute River Restoration Project

09/17/2025

On Saturday, October 4 from 3–6pm, Quileute Natural Resources (QNR) staff will be tabling at this year’s Fish ’N Brew, https://www.pacificcoastsalmoncoalition.org/fish-n-brew, which is being held at the Kit’la Roundhouse in Forks, WA! Be sure to stop by to learn about the successful restoration projects completed on the Quillayute River, which QNR hopes to use to inform more restoration work in the future.

The event is hosted by the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition https://www.pacificcoastsalmoncoalition.org/ . It will feature information booths where you can learn from experts about recent salmon habitat restoration projects completed on the Olympic Peninsula as well as live music and a competition featuring local, home-made fish dishes and brews.

We hope to see you there!

05/14/2025

We are excited by the interest folks continue to express in our past and ongoing restoration work on the Quillayute River!

Most recently, we collaborated with Quileute Tribal School high school students and students from University of Washington's STEM Culture and Science Exchange program to teach them about the restoration work we completed in Reach 3 in 2022. This included a field trip to the lower Quillayute River to see the restoration work in action!

04/16/2025

Have you seen this amazing video from Wild Salmon Center showcasing the Reach 3 restoration project we finished in 2022?

QNR will be using past successes from this project to inform our planning for the next phases of restoration in the upper river.

03/13/2025

Quileute Natural Resources (QNR) staff will be attending the Indigenous Cinema Climate Showcase on March 21st where our film, Líť’sit yiká· xá·bil-ts: Quillayute River Restoration, will be featured! QNR staff will be available to answer questions you have about the ongoing restoration efforts on the Quillayute River.

Join us on March 21 @ 7PM for an inspiring Indigenous Cinema Climate Showcase, co-presented by the Elwha Legacy Forest Defense Coalition and Earth Law Center!

This event features award-winning short films that explore the vital connections between our rivers, forests, salmon, and orcas through Indigenous perspectives, followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and film stars.

📅 Doors open at 6:30PM—free admission, no RSVP required

Indigenous Cinema Climate Showcase:
Last Stand: Saving the Elwha River’s Legacy Forests (23 min)
Climate Diaries: Heather’s Story (9 min)
Call of the Orcas (10 min)
Líť’sit yiká· xá·bil-ts: Quillayute River Restoration (6 min)
Facing the Storm: An Indigenous Response to Climate Change (12 min)
All Our Relations: Tribute to Orcas (7 min)

Don’t miss this unique blend of Indigenous storytelling and climate action. Learn more at ElwhaLegacyForests.org. See you there!

12/18/2024

Why are log jams important for salmon and steelhead?

This film shows hundreds of juvenile salmon swimming among log jams that were constructed in 2022 for the Reach 3 Restoration Project. Log jams create deep pool habitats for salmon that serve as cold water refuge and protection from predators. In-stream wood supports macroinvertebrates, a key food source for juvenile salmon. Large wood was historically part of the Quillayute River system but was removed decades ago due to industrial development. Quileute Natural Resource is planning additional projects that will restore wood to the river and improve salmon and steelhead habitat.

Film credit: Robert Beck

10/08/2024

Come see Líťsit yiká· xá·bil-ts, our award-winning Quillayute River Restoration film showing at the River & Ocean Film Festival in Forks!

What: River & Ocean Film Festival
Where: Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N Forks Ave, Forks, WA 98331
When: October 18 – Doors open at 6:30 pm, Films run from 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Flim Link: https://caravanlab.com/work/quileute/