When Butch Alford, owner of Alford Homes, began the arduous task of restoring his Kinman Creek riparian habitat, he was also in for a lesson on evolution... beaver style.

Alford, an avid sports fisherman, is passionate about helping support runs of salmon within the Hood Canal watershed. With a vision of recreating quality spawning and rearing habitat for salmon in his own backyard, he began the long process of seeking permits and technical expertise.

Work in the stream corridor requires a hydraulic permit through the state Department of Fish & Wildlife and may involve other permits, habitat plans and critical area ordinances. Arduously wading through the myriad of obstacles and observations like a salmon coursing upstream, Alford caught and landed the resources he needed to make it happen.

Dr. Chris May, Environmental Engineer and Research Scientist for University of Washington, worked with the property owners to design a functional stream. Steve Todd, habitat biologist at the Point no Point Treaty Council for the S’Klallam and Skokomish tribes, assisted in habitat plans and other technical advice throughout the permitting process. Jeff Davis, area habitat biologist for the Washington State department of Fish and Wildlife, also advised and assisted the team in creating an environment correct for fish.

Long before Alford bought the property, farm animals had cleared much of the native vegetation from the once abundant riparian area. Himalayan blackberry had moved in once the livestock was gone. The first task was to free up the creek from the opportunistic and invasive blackberry through painstaking abatement activities. Next was to recreate the lost attributes of a healthy, functional riparian habitat.

As Steve Todd explained, “The Puget Sound region was heavily influenced by beaver activity. Salmon had adapted to the beaver-influenced landscape, with its fallen timber and ponding. This added complexity to the stream’s ecosystem and formed the basis by which salmon would establish spawning beds, hide and rear. Trapping for beaver pelts had a tremendous effect on loss of these attributes and areas where beavers have returned after trapping has subsided have demonstrated how beneficial this is to salmonids.”

The plan consisted of constructing rearing ponds connecting to stream, fish weirs to increase water flow, and placing large timbers and gigantic root wads to mimic beaver ponds, which covered the landscape long ago. Gravel spawning beds were created and hundreds of native plants, courtesy of the Puget Sound Energy program run by Jim Trainer and Kitsap County Stream team, were installed.

Levengood construction placed timbers, Cory Mathis, Butch and Julie Alford, Chris May and his sons James, age 13, and Nate, age 11, biologists Davis and Todd, put in several days of work on the project. “This is a great example of how a private citizen can have an effect without breaking the bank, using local resources and programs available to them,” said May.

Tribal biologists, Kitsap County staff and state fish and wildlife have outreach programs available to private property owners in the Hood Canal and other Puget Sound watersheds.