In the Skagit River basin, the WRIA and maps of Johnson (1986) were used in conjunction with current aerial photos and topographic maps to locate probable areas where off-channel type habitat could exist. Referrals were also taken from other professional biologists working in the area. Probable areas or sites were then searched on foot usually by walking up the mapped and identified streams. The same procedure was followed in the Stillaguamish River Basin except there were no supplemental surveys from which to work. Areas excluded from consideration were those likely to be flooded in a two-year flood event. Off-channel areas were followed and mapped to the 20% gradient criteria that was assumed to be the end of the anadromous zone.
When a site was found, it was given a unique identification code. The first two alpha characters describe the principal named stream. The next numeric is the reach number on that stream as assigned by principal topographic breaks. The next alpha code is either "RB" or "LB" for right or left bank facing downstream. The last numeric is the sequential number of that site found on that bank.
Specific habitat and description information was collected at each site including physical site measurements, assessment of habitat quality, and location using a traditional legal definition (section, township and range) and Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. The GPS point was the confluence of the off-channel flow with the known or previously identified stream. Sufficient information was also taken to later draw a detailed map of the site. The completed field form, hand drawn map, marked location on a USGS topographic map and an aerial photograph are all attached to the site identification code as seen in the Arcview map document file.
Olympic Peninsula
In the basins of the Olympic Peninsula, current aerial photos and topographic maps were used to locate probable areas where off-channel type habitat could exist. Referrals were also taken from other professional biologists working in the area. Probable areas or sites were then searched on foot usually by walking up the mapped and identified streams. Work in these basins began in 1987 and was suspended due to budget constraints in 2003. The earliest work in the Hoh and Clearwater basins only included the floodplains of the mainstems. Some of these sites are no longer in existence due to the meandering of the rivers, which reclaimed a few. These reclaimed sites do not appear in the data or the maps. As the inventory evolved, sites that appeared vulnerable to reclamation by the river were not considered for surveys. Later work on the other river basins included tributary floodplain habitat. In most cases, off-channel sites were followed and mapped to the 20% gradient criteria that was assumed to be the end of the anadromous zone (WDFW 2000).
When a site was found, it was given a unique identification code. The first one or two alpha characters describe the principal named stream. An alpha character follows that designates which bank of the stream is on (R or L, looking downstream). The next numeric is the reach number on that stream as assigned by principal topographic breaks. The last numeric is the sequential number of that site found on that bank. For example, S-L1-01 represents the first site on the left bank of the Sol Duc River.
As the inventory moved into tributaries, a different code was adopted since most streams were not named. We used the first letter of the named mainstem and followed that with the Water Resource Inventory Area number (WRIA) followed by R or L for right or left bank and ending with the sequential number in that group of sites. For example, B-0241L-01 represents the first site on the left bank of tributary number 20.0241, which is tributary to the Bogachiel River.
Specific habitat and description information was collected at each site including physical site measurements, assessment of habitat quality, and location using a traditional legal definition (section, township and range) and Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. The GPS point was the confluence of the off-channel flow with the known or previously identified stream. Sufficient information was also taken to later draw a detailed map of the site. The finalized data sheets, hand drawn maps and USGS topographic maps are all attached to the site identification code as seen in the Arcview map document file.