Study Tracks 'Amazing' Fish Recovery in SW Wash.

During a 2024 fish survey near Pe Ell, Washington, fish in a bucket are ready for counting and measuring before being returned to a stream.

Almost two decades after an unprecedented winter storm hit the Pacific Northwest, fish have made a remarkable comeback on our tree farm near Pe Ell, Washington, one of the region's most severely impacted areas.

Referred to as the Great Coastal Gale of 2007, the December storm wreaked havoc on communities and killed at least 18 people. Winds surpassed 130 miles per hour. Certain regions received more than 14 inches of rain in just one day, and some accumulated 20 inches or more throughout the storm's duration.

Rivers overflowed on our Pe Ell tree farm, and the ground - on our land and throughout the region - became dangerously saturated. This extreme event ultimately led to landslides that sent rocks, tree trunks, limbs and mud rushing downstream - sweeping populations of fish away with them.

Tiffany Justice, research specialist/geologist, walks in a stream channel near Pe Ell.

OUR SCIENTIFIC TEAM SPRINGS INTO ACTION

Our scientists acted promptly to study these disturbance events, their long-term impacts, and how impacted systems recovered over time. This research included a comprehensive study to assess the storm's effects on regional fish populations in southwest Washington.

"We seldom get the chance to study landscape-altering events like this rare 500-year storm," says Jason Walter, unit manager of the Western Aquatic Resources team. "What's more, we had extensive data on fish distributions and stream habitat before the storm, providing a unique opportunity to understand the scope of the storm's impact and the length of the recovery process to pre-storm conditions."

By early 2008, our scientific team had developed a comprehensive study plan that included landscape surveys, field sampling, and rigorous data collection and monitoring protocols.

In and around our Pe Ell tree farm, the team pinpointed 16 individual watersheds and almost 30 kilometers of streams for study, plus two streams not affected by a debris flow for comparison. Over the next 15 years, they returned to the same places in late spring and early summer to assess the recovery of fish populations and stream habitats in the impacted waterways.

Members of our scientific team conducted a fish count in Cinnabar Creek this past September. Pictured are Storm Beech, Renata Tarosky, Jason Walter and Travis Schill.

FROM BLEAK TO BOUNTIFUL

"That first year following the storm was bleak," says Renata "Rene" Tarosky. "We found a total of three fish within our 16 impacted watersheds."

Rene joined Weyerhaeuser the first spring after the storm. Fresh out of college with a bachelor's degree in environmental science, she was eager to get field research experience and accepted a temporary position to assist with the storm recovery study. Soon, she was hired full-time as an aquatic research technician and participated in all 15 years of the study.

Within two and a half years after the storm, fish had returned to all 16 stream systems affected by debris torrents. By the early 2010s, signs of recovery were more evident, with an observable "explosion" in fish populations among species including cutthroat trout, coho salmon, steelhead and sculpin.

"It was amazing to see," Rene says.

Although the team identified numerous fish species during their surveys, cutthroat trout, like the one pictured here, were the most predominant.

During these early stages of recovery, an open forest canopy supported abundant aquatic plant growth, which allowed the fish to benefit from higher levels of food, oxygen and shelter. Fish populations eventually stabilized as the streamside tree canopy recovered, shading streams and increasing natural competition for resources.

By 2016, fish had fully recolonized pre-storm-occupied habitats in nine of 16 streams. In five of those nine streams, fish have been detected upstream from their previously known distributions.

In the seven streams where fish hadn't fully recolonized, it was because the storm had created new permanent, natural barriers - such as waterfalls - that impeded upstream fish passage.

"The biggest takeaway from this study is the resilience of these aquatic systems," Rene says. "I think it's like that quote from 'Jurassic Park' about nature finding a way. Still, it's important to realize that recovery takes time."

Although the team identified numerous fish species during their surveys, cutthroat trout, like the one pictured here, were the most predominant.

PASSION TIES IT ALL TOGETHER

The team's final post-storm field surveys wrapped up in 2023; the team is now preparing to submit findings to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The team continues to study fish populations as part of their ongoing commitment to science and research, which inform both our own forestry practices and public policy.

Amanda Vail, senior communications manager, participated in a fish survey in the storm-impacted area this September to better understand and communicate our scientific commitment to stakeholders.

"I was impressed with the rigor that goes into counting and measuring fish," Amanda says. "But I was especially surprised by the number of fish in just a small stream segment."

However, a more profound insight emerged from deep within the woods.

"I watched the team's professionalism and dedication as they counted fish, and I realized how everything we do at Weyerhaeuser connects to our people's passion for making a difference in the world," Amanda says. "Our commitment to the land allows us to keep our forests as forests, support diverse ecosystems and create sustainable products for essential needs like housing. The dedication of our mill employees to producing quality products shows similar passion. There are countless ways to think about this idea, but ultimately, we're making a positive difference because we care."

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