QA Environment
Basics
- Puget Sound Indicator Name
- Riparian habitat restoration
- Progress Indicator
- Acre (acres)
- /
-
The 2030 Habitat Restoration Target for Puget Sound Salmon directs the region to fund and implement roughly 2,200 acres of riparian restoration activities.
- Topics
- Floodplains (non-tidal) Management, Riparian Management
-
Laura Vary
- Contributing Partners
- Last Updated
- 01/10/2025 22:24:50
Map
Description
Acres of riparian areas improved through restoration activities
Progress Indicator Chart
Acres of riparian habitat restoration implemented or in progress, including all projects that began in fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2024.
Riparian areas are critical habitats in Puget Sound. These areas border marine and freshwater systems and keep waters clean and cool, control erosion, moderate flooding events, and offer key habitat for numerous terrestrial, freshwater, and migratory species like salmon. Riparian habitats support a great diversity of wildlife and are frequently used by many different species[i]
Riparian areas have been degraded across Puget Sound over decades of population growth and development[ii]. Washington’s population is expected to exceed 9 million by 2050, which will put additional demands on our limited supply of lands[iii]. Given these pressures, it is important to continue protecting and restoring land while prioritizing projects that benefit both humans and wildlife.
This Progress Indicator measures the number of acres restored or in progress of restoration across the Puget Sound region in riparian areas. The indicator can help us evaluate our success accelerating the pace of habitat restoration.
[i] Quinn, T., G. Wilhere, and K. Krueger (2020). Riparian Ecosystems, Volume 1: Science Synthesis and Management Implications, July 2020 update. Habitat Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
[ii] Puget Sound Partnership (2022). 2022-2026 Action Agenda for Puget Sound. Puget Sound Partnership.
[iii] Washington State Office of Financial Management (2024). Forecast of the State Population; November 2023 Forecast. Forecasting & Research Division, Office of Financial Management. https://ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/dataresearch/pop/stfc/stfc_2023.pdf
Key Progress Indicator Results
Over the baseline period (2011 through 2024), the number of riparian acres restored has declined, though the number of acres restored varied by year.
- The number of acres restored peaked in 2018 at 2,306.7 acres.
- On average, the region restored 680 acres of riparian areas each year over the baseline period.
- In recent years (2020 through 2024), the restoration of riparian areas has been sporadic. Many acres were restored in 2020 (569 acres), 2022 (994 acres), and 2024 (663 acres), with fewer acres restored in the interim years (2021, 2023). Over this period, the region restored an average of 488 acres each year.
This indicator currently only displays baseline information. Therefore, we cannot evaluate a trend and apply the “No Trend” designation. As we collect more information on this indicator, we will update this report to characterize its trend.
Methods
- Monitoring Program
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office owns and manages the PRISM database. Lead Entities are local community groups, established by Washington state law, which establish and implement watershed and salmon recovery plans. These plans identify key restoration projects through unique approaches that balance what salmon need to recover and what is feasible to implement with available resources.
- Data Source
PRISM Online grant management database.
The riparian habitat restoration Progress Indicator tracks the acres of habitat restored through projects in riparian areas across Puget Sound. Habitat restoration data is tracked through Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO)’s grant management database, PRISM. This indicator relies on PRISM data to track habitat restoration in riparian areas over time.
Project sponsors document habitat restoration projects in PRISM by attaching specific metrics to their projects. This indicator tracks projects tagged with PRISM metric #74, total length of streambank riparian area treated and amount of riparian area treated or managed. Metric #74 includes specific activities in riparian restoration: riparian planting or native plant establishment, creation of livestock exclusion or other riparian fencing, preventing or removing access to riparian areas, alteration of agricultural land use practices to reduce grazing pressure, removal and/or control of non-native species, noxious weeds and other plants or invasive species, treatment or management of trees and undergrowth in riparian areas, and removal of debris or structures from riparian areas. Project sponsors self-report the total acres treated by these varied activities based on their understanding of the project and site. This indicator uses this self-reported overall metric (#74) to avoid double-counting acres restored through multiple specific activities.
Habitat restoration data for active, active completed, and closed completed projects implemented between state fiscal year 2011 through state fiscal year 2024 are extracted from the PRISM database. Any project with a project type that includes “Restoration” are included – this dataset may therefore include Planning & Restoration projects, Restoration & Development projects, etc. The data are then filtered to include only projects tagged with RCO metric #74. The “Proposed” acreage value is displayed in the dataset for projects in the active stage. The “Final” acreage value is displayed in the dataset for projects in active completed or closed completed stages.
Data were manually reviewed and cross-referenced with Project Snapshots to confirm the value of acreages. Data were then organized by the state fiscal year in which they began, and data visualizations were created in either Microsoft Excel or Puget Sound Partnership’s reporting platform, PS Info.
Baseline period: fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2024
Limitations
The number of acres restored may change between the project’s proposal and its completion.
Data for this indicator include active projects, whose final acreages may be different from proposed acreages depending on a range of factors (land acquisition, equipment availability, site specifics, etc.). However, the Partnership reviewed a dataset of 251 completed projects with proposed and final acreage values and found that 84% of proposed values were within +/- 10 acres of the final value. There is thus a small degree of expected error as projects are completed and the final acres restored are documented. This indicator will be updated annually to include finalized acre totals as possible.
PRISM is not entirely comprehensive.
This indicator relies on PRISM, which is known to be an incomplete record of restoration in the Puget Sound. However, PRISM is the most comprehensive database of restoration projects available at this point. The Puget Sound Partnership is invested in exploring additional data streams and including them in the dataset for this and other habitat restoration Progress Indicators (e.g., freshwater floodplains restoration, estuarine/nearshore restoration).
PRISM use may vary across the region.
PRISM relies on project sponsors to self-report data on restoration projects. Project sponsors may differ in how they apply metrics to projects. However, Lead Entity Coordinators dedicate resources to training and supporting project sponsors as they submit their project data. The Puget Sound Partnership is also committed to supporting Lead Entities in the consistent use of PRISM.
- Critical Definitions
Riparian: freshwater areas above the ordinary high-water mark of the stream and within the floodplain of the stream/waterbody (PCSRF Data Dictionary 2013).
Interpretation of Results
This indicator contributes to the 2030 Habitat Restoration Target for Puget Sound Salmon: by 2030, fund and implement 7,200 new acres of floodplain, estuarine/nearshore, and riparian restoration activities Puget Sound-wide. This target directs the region to fund and implement roughly 2,200 acres of riparian habitat restoration activities.
This indicator currently only displays baseline information. We are thus not yet able to evaluate change over time and apply the "No Trend" designation. As we collect more information on this indicator, we will update this report to characterize its trend. Updates will also allow us to evaluate progress towards the 2030 Habitat Restoration Target. At the time of this report, the region has not yet implemented the roughly 2,200 acres of riparian restoration activities by 2030.
To understand changes in this indicator over time, it is important to listen to the experiences of Lead Entities and project sponsors that directly face challenges to proposing and implementing restoration efforts. The decline in restored acres in this habitat could be attributed to a variety of barriers, outlined further in the “Causes for Change” section.
Riparian areas can be challenging areas to implement restoration. Riparian habitats often overlap with other critical natural resource industries, like forestry and agriculture[i]. Restoration efforts can also be highly complex, requiring experience and technical knowledge that may be difficult to access[ii].
Additionally, Lead Entities work towards salmon recovery overall and thus do not exclusively focus on restoring riparian areas. A given Lead Entity may have focused their resources on floodplains, estuarine/nearshore, or forest restoration projects rather than riparian restoration in recent years.
[i] Quinn, T., G. Wilhere, and K. Krueger (2020). Riparian Ecosystems, Volume 1: Science Synthesis and Management Implications, July 2020 update. Habitat Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
[ii] Rentz, R., A. Windrope, K. Folkerts, and J. Azerrad (2020). Riparian Ecosystems, Volume 2: Management Recommendations. Habitat Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
-
Habitat restoration is possible through coordinated, integrated efforts of Lead Entities and their partners. Lead Entities must also be supported with diverse and flexible funding sources to tackle a variety of projects. Habitat restoration also requires staff knowledge and capacity to move forward with complex projects. Progress in this indicator is thus affected by:
- Access to flexible and predictable funding sources and capacity to use allocated funds for project implementation,
- Technical knowledge to propose and implement complex restoration projects,
- Staff capacity to manage contracts, collaborate with communities to identify restoration opportunities, and develop project proposals,
- Permitting processes, which can delay the implementation of projects,
- Landowner engagement and land availability, and
- Leadership support to implement restoration projects.
Datasets
The Puget Sound Partnership believes in the transparency and accessibility of the data used to address puget sound indicators. These data are provided by contributing partners to the Partnership and are made publicly available through the Puget Sound Info site. These data are available on an "as is" basis and the Partnership is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Please acknowledge the monitoring program and data source when using these data and obtain permission from the Progress Indicator Reporter to use these data in a publication.
- Riparian Restoration Data
- Uploaded On
- 01/10/2025
- File Type
- Excel (XLSX)
- Description
- Data used to calculate the riparian habitat restoration Progress Indicator, last updated in December 2024. Source: PRISM, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
Reporting Guidance
- Reporting Instructions
Subcategories
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Riparian Habitat Restoration |
Cumulative Acres, New Acres
|