Inside the effort to save Indian Creek

On the morning of July 18, a dual-tanker truck carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline and diesel left the roadway on U.S. Highway 101 and overturned into Indian Creek. The wreck spilled an estimated 2,798 gallons of gasoline and 172 gallons of diesel into the tributary of the Elwha River, killing thousands of fish and leaving a toxic mess in the gravel streambed.

This creek is more than a waterway. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe describes it as a living symbol of restoration, home to returning salmon and part of a broader cultural and ecological healing effort years in the making. The creek is also an important source of water supply to Port Angeles.

Critical first response actions by local and Tribal partners

Quick action in the earliest hours helped set the tone for the entire response. Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue was among the first on scene and quickly deployed one of Ecology's spill equipment trailers, part of an equipment grant (called a cache grant) that strategically places trailers throughout the state, so local responders have the tools they need when minutes matter.

The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe soon joined the effort with their spill trailer, which came from an Ecology grant in 2020.

Getting boom and absorbent - common oil containment and cleanup tools to use in a spill emergency - into the creek quickly helped capture some of the gas and diesel before it traveled downstream. Those early actions bought the team critical time for other resources to be brought in, and for a more in-depth team (called Unified Command) to be set up to launch full-scale recovery operations.

A unified response

Within hours of the spill, Unified Command was established, bringing together representatives from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington Department of Ecology, the Clallam County Sheriff's Office, and PetroCard (the company that owned and operated the tanker truck).

This structure, commonly used for large-scale incidents involving multiple agencies, governments and organizations, helps ensure coordinated decision-making, shared responsibility and clear communication across all partners during an emergency response.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe played a pivotal role managing this incident, bringing knowledge of the local geography and environment to the table and guiding decision-making, from water and sediment sampling locations to habitat protections. Matt Beirne represented the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, by serving as the Tribe's on-scene coordinator, followed by Jamie Michel in the latter part of the spill response.

Creek cleanup and recovery efforts

As the response ramped up, Unified Command crews spread out along the 1.25 mile stretch of Indian Creek between the crash site and where it joins the Elwha River.

They also surveyed the shoreline for the presence of fuel or any impacted wildlife, and deployed boom near the Port Angeles' drinking water well on the river.

The crews' fuel recovery and environmental protection strategies included:

• Deploying boom at four strategic locations to contain fuel.
• Replacing oil absorbing materials daily to remove collected fuel.
• Using oil spill clean-up techniques (such as sparging and flushing) to release fuel trapped in debris, beneath rocks and in sediments.
• Installing fencing to keep animals and other wildlife out of the impacted areas.
• Monitoring air and water quality and safety to protect the responders and the public.

Despite this priority work, the creek experienced devastating impacts because these measures came too late since gasoline is immediately toxic to many fish and wildlife.

By the end of the emergency response phase, wildlife teams confirmed the loss of 2,134 fish including juvenile salmon, lamprey, and sculpin. Responders also found hundreds of dead crawfish in the creek bed.

Public health and drinking water safety

Shortly after the spill, the City of Port Angeles temporarily shut down its water system and issued a "do not drink" advisory for residents connected to the Elwha River water system.

The city made the advisory out of an abundance of caution rather than a known risk, and the city lifted the advisory the same evening after testing confirmed the water was safe. Ecology, the Washington State Department of Health, and the city worked closely to keep the public informed while urging water conservation due to limited reservoir capacity.

Throughout the response, air monitoring and water sampling remained a priority. The Unified Command group didn't detect any levels that would pose a risk to public health, which is what informed the city's decision to lift the "do not drink" order.

Responsible party pays for cleanup efforts

As the owner of the overturned truck, representatives from PetroCard joined Unified Command. Company leaders assumed full financial responsibility for all cleanup efforts, environmental restoration, and any injury the spill caused. The company's quick response helped expedite the process.

The driver, who was transported to the hospital, is now recovering at home.

A time of gathering

There is never an appropriate time for thousands of gallons of fuel to spill into the environment. However, this incident came at an especially sensitive time as the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe prepared to host the Paddle to Elwha Canoe Journey July 31 to Aug. 5. The event celebrates cultural resilience and hosted many thousands of Indigenous families from across the region.

Despite the ongoing response, the event went on as planned. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe invited all response personnel to take part in the event's closing protocol.

End-of-emergency response

After three weeks of frantic work, Unified Command ended Aug. 8, marking the end of the emergency response phase. More than 65 responders contributed to the effort.

The next phase will be a collaborative effort with Tribal, state and federal partners. The phase will focus on:

• Continued environmental monitoring.
• A Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to evaluate long-term ecological harm and plans for restoration.
• A potential transition to Ecology's Toxics Cleanup Program for ongoing site management, if needed.

While the damage assessment and toxics cleanup may overlap in timing and coordination, they serve different purposes. The NRDA process includes assessing in more detail how the spill harmed fish, water, wildlife, habitat and recreation areas and plans restoration, while toxics cleanup focuses on remediating any lasting contamination.

Decision to keep Indian Creek open to salmon

As salmon begin returning to the Elwha River in the coming weeks, Unified Command - guided by input from fisheries scientist and other experts knowledgeable about the Elwha River system - determined that Indian Creek will remain open to fish passage. This means the returning salmon can resume their planned journey home to this waterway for spawning. This decision reflects ongoing monitoring, the historically strong salmon survival rates in the creek, and the Tribes' cultural and ecological connection to these waters.

Looking ahead

While Unified Command, responders, and their cleanup equipment are now gone, the work is far from over. Environmental monitoring, wildlife and habitat assessments, and restoration will continue until this culturally and ecologically significant river recovers.

The public can access updates in the coming weeks as Ecology finalizes a webpage that will provide information about restoration efforts.

Jamie Michel and Matt Beirne, on-scene coordinators for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, said working such long weeks with Unified Command contributed to future strategic partnerships.

"Indian Creek is both culturally and ecologically significant for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe," Michel said. "Throughout this response, the Tribe's perspectives and knowledge of the watershed were included in every decision. As we move into restoration, we remain committed to ensuring the health of the creek, the fish, the wildlife and the community that depend on it."

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Ecology, PetroCard, and federal, state, and local partners remain committed to restoring Indian Creek. Under the NRDA process, this collaboration will determine, fund, and carry out restoration projects.

What began as an emergency now turns toward healing, rooted in culture, salmon, and the determination to restore this significant and important place.