Estuaries are diverse and dynamic natural systems that are under-studied in the Pacific Northwest. The Treaty Council is currently studying three estuaries located along the coasts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal.
Sea-level rise due climate change generally leads to higher coastal water levels, thereby altering ecosystems through increased inundation of estuarine beaches, tidal flats, and inland and freshwater marshes.
Sediment movement and water quality are important for shellfish and salmonid habitats in both freshwater and estuarine environments. Estimating the relationship between sediment movement and weather patterns is crucial to understanding how climate change might impact water quality.
Healthy streams provide valuable habitat for various fish species and influence estuary health by providing freshwater inputs, sediment, and nutrients. Concern has grown over the potential impacts climate change might have on freshwater resources and how these changes might impact critical fisheries habitat.