Scatter Creek Watershed

The Scatter Creek sub-committee to the Chehalis Basin Partnership was formed in 2020 to advance the Streamflow Restoration Plan’s goals in the Scatter Creek basin. They chose to focus on Scatter Creek because shallow groundwater and streams are in close connection, there is a strong need for good water management because the projections for new permit-exempt wells in this area are high, and there are committed sponsors for potentially good restoration projects. 

The completion of the Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (2019) provides additional urgency to the need for restoration planning in the Scatter Creek basin, which is identified as a “near term” priority in its ambitious 30-year plan for restoration.

In 2025, the Chehalis Basin Partnership completed development of a restoration strategy for Scatter Creek, which accounts for local values and ecological need.  The strategy compiled information and studies about the watershed as a page on the Salish Sea Wiki, available here: https://salishsearestoration.org/wiki/Scatter_Creek_Watershed 

The restoration strategy’s vision for Scatter Creek includes:
       1. Physical:
            a. Restore and protect healthy streamflows and aquifers
            b. Reduce summer stream temperatures
            c. Create a resilient ecosystem by restoring aquatic habitat and protecting unique aquatic habitats
            d. Prevent future contamination from nitrogen, sediment, and other sources
       2. Community and Governance: Central to achieving this vision is an active resident, tribal, and stakeholder community that understands the cultural significance and unique needs and vulnerabilities of the Scatter Creek watershed and actively participates in collaborative governance and decision-making.
       3. Context: This vision is grounded in recognition that freshwater ecosystems have intrinsic value that provides a myriad of services to human and natural        systems. The strategy considers economic conditions that influence land use management and details funding opportunities for the restoration and conservation        work critical to protecting and enhancing life in and around Scatter Creek. 

Download the full Restoration Strategy here.

Pictures taken from Scatter Creek Volunteer Stream Presence/Absence Monitoring Sites:

Scatter Creek Flow and Species Studies and Data Sources

Survey of Scatter Creek Residents on their views of Beavers:

The survey was voluntary and anonymous. The purpose was to get the perspectives of the local residents living in the Scatter Creek watershed on beaver dams and where it would be acceptable to locate analogs (human made structures mimicking beaver dams). Survey conducted by Florencia Gonzalez, student intern from University of Washington’s Program on the Environment. Summer 2023.

https://chehalisbasinpartnership.org/scatter-creek-web-map/(opens in a new tab)