Net surface flow in this system is seaward. Winter storms increase the flow in rivers and streams that feed Grays Harbor, while flows decline during the summer. Seasonal freshwater input creates a range of salinity from 5 parts per thousand during the winter to 20 parts per thousand in the summer. The largest source of freshwater into Grays Harbor is from the Chehalis River. Other significant sources of freshwater into Grays Harbor from the north include all forks of the Hoquiam River, the Humptulips, and Wishkah Rivers, as well as Chenois and Grass Creeks. The major freshwater sources in the south are Elk River and Johns River (and tributaries), and Andrews, Barlow, Gold, O’Leary, Stafford, and Chapin Creeks.

Near the entrance into the Grays Harbor estuary from the Pacific Ocean, less buoyant saltwater (from the ocean) flows beneath more buoyant freshwater (from the numerous rivers and streams that drain into Grays Harbor). During ebb tide, buoyant freshwater at the ocean/estuary interface expands. Wave conditions near the entrance to Grays Harbor can be intense when coupled with high winds brought on by severe winter storms. Storms can also surge water toward the shore, resulting in water levels above predicted tide levels. The low atmospheric pressure that accompanies storm events can sometimes cause the ocean to mound, raising water levels even further.

Portions of Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA) for Queets/Quinault (WRIA 21), Lower Chehalis (WRIA 22), and Willapa (WRIA 24) fall within the geographic boundaries of this plan.

Winds in the Grays Harbor area, measured at Bowerman Field Airport in Hoquiam, blow toward the west in April through September and toward the east in October through March. In the summer months, average wind speed is 8.5 mph. During the winter months, average wind speed is 10.2 mph. December is typically the windiest month; average wind speed is 11.1 mph, blowing in an easterly direction (WRCC).

Surrounding the entrance of Grays Harbor is a shallow bar where inward-flowing ocean swells converge with outward-flowing river currents. Currents in the vicinity of the bar can occasionally be erratic. At the harbor entrance, current velocities can reach 5 knots, but the average current velocity is usually about 1.9 knots at flood tide and 2.8 knots at ebb tide. In channels through the bay, current velocities seldom exceed 3 knots (NOAA CO-OPS).

Large Commercial Vessel Traffic: Grays Harbor has experienced significant economic growth in recent years, leading to increased tanker and cargo and passenger (C&P) transport. The state’s vessel entry and transit data shows that 20 tank ships and  43 C&P ships called Grays Harbor in 2022 (VEAT). Bulk exports are the largest commodity handled at port facilities. Shipments of grains, soybeans, and other agricultural products are expected to increase further over the next few years. Roll-on-roll-off imports/exports and commercial tank ship traffic are also likely to increase. For example, the port’s Terminal 4 Expansion & Redevelopment Project received federal funding in late 2022 (Port of Grays Harbor) and should be operational in 2026. Large commercial vessels typically carry significant amounts of heavy and blended fuel oils and other petroleum products, raising the potential for sensitive resources to be impacted if an oil spill incident were to occur.

Navigation: Due to shoals (accumulated sediments) and flats, the navigable channel into Grays Harbor narrows to 0.6 miles wide with several turns where well-judged course changes are required. A breaking bar at the entrance to Grays Harbor, coupled with strong and sometimes erratic currents, can present a navigational challenge to commercial and recreational vessels entering or leaving port. Periods of limited visibility (fog, rain, and darkness) can add to this challenge. Submerged sections of the north and south jetties at the Grays Harbor entrance extend seaward about 0.2 and 0.9 miles, respectively. Hazardous breakers can occasionally be present near these jetties, especially during periods of heavy weather.

Facilities: REG Grays Harbor, a Class 1 facility, is in Hoquiam. This terminal has a daily throughput (in 2013) of 135,000 gallons of biodiesel. Three other oil-handling facilities (one Class 3 and two Class 4) are located in Westport (Spills Story Map).

Rail Transportation: Rail companies transport oil via manifest trains. Manifest trains include: up to four locomotives, a mix of non-oil merchandise cars, and one or more 714-barrel (29,998 gallon) capacity USDOT-approved tank cars carrying refined oil products, such as diesel, lubrication oil, or gasoline.  These trains may include emptied tank cars, each with residual quantities of up to 1,800 gallons of crude oil or petroleum products.  Every train locomotive typically holds a few hundred gallons of engine lubrication oil, plus saddle tanks that each have an approximate capacity of 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel.  Manifest trains may also transport biological oils and non-petroleum chemicals.

Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad delivers oil to the REG Grays Harbor facility and other locations on its westerly route from Centralia. It transports over 49 tank cars per year of non-crude petroleum refined products and biological oils.

Other Oil Spill Risks: Other potential sources that add to oil spill risks in Grays Harbor include (in general) recreational watercraft, commercial fishing vessels, and charter boats anchored in the area, operating in Grays Harbor or offshore, or moored at local docks or marinas. Spill risks include but are not limited to boat refueling accidents, the unintentional pumping of bilges, boat fires, and the grounding of vessels during periods of heavy weather. Land-based sources of spills that might impact Grays Harbor include road run-off and the migration of spilled oil through soil, ditches, and storm drain systems.

Natural Disasters:

Winter Storms: Severe storms hit Washington’s coast during the winter, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, and high waves. Coastal storm winds regularly top 40 mph. The annual peak speed of 55 mph can topple chimneys, utility lines, and trees. The entire county is vulnerable to wind storms though wind speeds are highest along the Pacific Ocean. There is typically at least one damaging wind event every year in the county.

Earthquakes: Grays Harbor County is particularly vulnerable to damaging earthquakes due to its proximity to the Cascadia Subduction Zone (DNR). The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that Grays Harbor County has a 40% to 50% chance of experiencing an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 within the next 50 years. The probability of a M7 earthquake is 12% to 15% during this same period. Damage can occur to structures in areas subject to liquefaction where soil, especially sandy soils saturated with water, behaves less like a solid. Of special concern are structures located on steep slopes (WEMD).

Tsunamis: They may have occurred along the Washington coast in the past, but there is no or little documentation describing these events. Considerable evidence suggests a large earthquake in Japan created a tsunami with wave heights of 20’ just over 300 years ago. Historical records reported tsunamis occurring along the Pacific Northwest coast at Astoria in 1853, 1868, and 1872. The 1960 Chilean Tsunami, generated by a 9.5 magnitude earthquake, resulted in small waves within Grays Harbor and two-foot waves in Tokeland. The 1964 Alaskan earthquake generated the nearly three-foot waves at Ocean Shores but resulted in relatively minor damage and deposition of debris (WEMD).

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This section is purposely broad in scope and should not be considered comprehensive. Some of the sensitive resources described in this section cannot be addressed in Response Strategies and Priorities because it is not possible to conduct effective response activities in these locations.  Additional information from private organizations or federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies should also be sought during spills.

This material is presented with enough detail to give general information about the area during the first phase of a spill response. During an actual incident, more information about resources at risk will be available from the Environmental Unit in the Planning Section.

Note: specific resource concerns related to areas that already have designated protection strategies may be found in the “Resources At Risk” column of the matrix describing the individual strategies.

The information provided in this section can be used in:

• Assisting the Environmental Unit (EU) and Operations in developing ad hoc response strategies.
• Providing resource-at-risk “context” to responders, clean-up workers, and others during the initial phase of a spill response in the GRP area.
• Briefing responders and incident command staff that may be unfamiliar with sensitive resource concerns in the GRP area.
• Providing background information for personnel involved in media presentations and public outreach during a spill incident.
• Providing information on benthic and water column species or cultural resources present to assist in planning for oils with the potential to sink or submerge.

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Portions of the estuary are under active commercial shellfish aquaculture (primarily oysters). While much of tidelands are privately owned, commercial shellfish beds provide much the same habitat as natural beds to benefit native fish and shellfish.

Several of the species found in this area have been classified under the Federal Endangered Species Act or by the Washington State Fish and Wildlife commission.

Classification types are:

• Federal Endangered (FE)
• Federal Threatened (FT)
• Federal Candidate (FC)
• State Endangered (SE)
• State Threatened (ST)
• State Sensitive (SS)

Federal and State Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive species that may occur within this area, at some time of the year, include:

Birds:

• American white pelican [SS]
• common loon [SS]
• marbled murrelet [FT/SE]
• northern spotted owl [FT/SE]
• sandhill crane [SE]
• short-tailed albatross [FE]
• streaked horned lark [FT/SE]
• tufted puffin [SE]
• western snowy plover [FT/SE]
• yellow billed cuckoo [FT/SE]

Mammals:

• blue whale [FE/SE]
• fin whale [FE/SE]
• fisher [FC/SE]
• gray whale (eastern north Pacific) [SS]
• gray whale (western North Pacific) [FE/SS]
• humpback whale (Central American population) [FE/SE]
• humpback whale (Mexican population) [FT/SE]
• killer whale (southern resident) [FE/SE]
• right whale (north Pacific) [FE/SE]
• sei whale [FE/SE]
• sperm whale [FE/SE]

Fish:

• bull trout [FT]
• eulachon [FT]
• green sturgeon [FT]
• Olympic mudminnow [SS]

Amphibians/Reptiles:

• green sea turtle [FT/ST]
• leatherback sea turtle [FE/SE]
• loggerhead sea turtle [FE/SE]

Insects:

• Oregon silverspot butterfly [FT/SE]

Critical habitats are the specific areas occupied by an endangered or threatened species that contain the physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation of that species – and that may need special management or protection.  Critical habitat may also include areas that were not occupied by the species at the time of listing but are essential to its conservation.

The following species have federally designated critical habitats within this area:

• bull trout
• green sturgeon
• leatherback sea turtle
• western snowy plover
• streaked horned lark
• humpback whale (Central American population)
• humpback whale (Mexican population)

• Extensive eelgrass beds in the bay serve as important nursery and foraging areas for crab, salmonids, other fishes, and waterfowl.
• Oyster beds/reefs and surface deposits of shell fragments from oysters and soft-shell clams support high densities of crabs, epibenthic invertebrates, and fishes.
• Extensive areas of salt marsh occur throughout the bay, predominantly in association with stream and river mouths. Salt marshes support a diverse array of birds, insect, fish, and wildlife species.
• Several rivers and smaller tributary streams flow into this estuary. These act as important salmon migration routes and spawning areas, as well as providing rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids.  The associated riparian scrub and woodlands play a crucial role in supporting a large diversity and abundance of songbird species as breeding, migrating, and overwintering habitat.
• Offshore waters (between the 20 m and 200 m isobaths) of the region seasonally support extremely large numbers of seabirds. These waters are important to marine fish and support both resident and migrating marine mammals. Regional and localized oceanographic conditions can greatly influence the temporal distribution and abundance of these resources.
• Sand beaches, the primary habitat type along the south coast, provide habitat for razor clams, as well as for the vast numbers of shorebirds that stop over to feed and rest on the outer coast and its estuaries during the spring and fall migrations.
• The subtidal habitats in this area consist primarily of:
  • Soft sediments, such as clay, mud, sand, and gravel. These areas are broad flat and relatively level. Animals that tend to live on the surface of these habitats may include sea cucumber, sea stars, crustaceans (such as crab and shrimp), and bottom fish such as skate, cod, and the flat fishes.
  • These soft sediment habitats also support shellfish and other invertebrates including bivalves, worms, brittle stars, shrimplike crustaceans. The burrowing or foraging activities of these animals may penetrate up to one meter below the subsurface bottom.
  • Nutrient rich nearshore waters (from the shoreline out to the 20 m isobath) sustain a highly productive food web that includes fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. These areas also serve as habitat for wide-ranging fish such as salmon, forage fish (herring, smelt, and sandlance), sharks, and a large number and variety of birds that utilize this habitat as foraging areas. These waters also support both resident and migrating marine mammals. Regional and localized oceanographic conditions can greatly influence the distribution and abundance of all these resources.

Fish and shellfish:

• The estuary is important nursery and foraging area for juvenile salmonids including stocks of coastal cutthroat trout, winter and summer steelhead, fall, spring, and summer chinook, fall chum, and coho.
• Herring spawning occurs within eelgrass beds at several locations within the estuary.
• The estuary provides important habitat for several marine fishes, including juvenile English sole and lingcod, white and green sturgeon, and starry flounder.
• The estuary is a major nursery area for juvenile stages of Dungeness crab population. Crabs that rear in this bay contribute significantly to the adult population along the outer coast and to the coastal crab fishery.
• Portions of the estuary are under active commercial shellfish aquaculture. While much of tidelands and oysters are privately owned, commercial oyster beds provide much the same habitat benefits as natural beds to native fish and shellfish.
• Other shellfish occur throughout this area. Razor clams occur along the outer sand beaches and along the entrance to the bay. Eastern softshell clams, horse clams, Manila clams, and cockles are found at various locations throughout the bay.

During a spill response, after the Unified Command is established, information related to specific archeological concerns will be coordinated through the Environmental Unit. To ensure that tactical response strategies do not inadvertently harm culturally sensitive sites, WDAHP should be consulted before disturbing any soil or sediment during a response action, including submerged soils or sediments.  WDAHP and/or the Tribal governments may assign a person or provide a list of professional archeologists that can be contracted, to monitor response activities and cleanup operations for the protection of cultural resources at risk. Due to the sensitive nature of such information, details regarding the location and type of cultural resources present are not included in this document.

Table 1: GH-GRP Cultural Resource Contacts

Discovery of Human Skeletal Remains

The finding of human skeletal remains will be reported to the county medical examiner/coroner and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible.  The remains will not be touched, moved, or further disturbed. The county medical examiner/coroner will assume jurisdiction over the human skeletal remains and make a determination of whether those remains are forensic or non-forensic.  If the county medical examiner/coroner determines the remains are non-forensic, then they will report that finding to the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) who will then take jurisdiction over the remains.  The DAHP will notify any appropriate cemeteries and all affected tribes of the find.  The State Physical Anthropologist will make a determination of whether the remains are Indian or Non-Indian and report that finding to any appropriate cemeteries and the affected tribes.  The DAHP will then handle all consultation with the affected parties as to the future preservation, excavation, and disposition of the remains.

Any human remains, burial sites, or burial-related materials that are discovered during a spill response must be treated with respect at all times (photographing human remains is prohibited to all except the appropriate authorities).  Refer to National Historic Preservation Act Compliance Guidelines (NWRCP Section 9403) during an emergency response.

Procedures for the Discovery of Cultural Resources

If any person monitoring work activities or involved in spill response believes that they have encountered cultural resources, all workers must stop immediately and notify the Unified Command and Cultural Resource Specialist.  The area of work stoppage must be adequate to provide for the security, protection, and integrity of the material or artifact(s) discovered.

Prehistoric Cultural Resources (May include, but are not limited to, any of the following items):

• Lithic debitage (stone chips and other tool-making byproducts)
• Flaked or ground stone tools
• Exotic rock, minerals, or quarries
• Concentrations of organically stained sediments, charcoal, or ash
• Fire-modified rock
• Rock alignments or rock structures
• Bone (burned, modified, or in association with other bone, artifacts, or features)
• Shell or shell fragments
• Petroglyphs and pictographs
• Fish weirs, fish traps, and prehistoric water craft
• Culturally modified trees
• Physical locations or features (traditional cultural properties)
• Submerged villages sites or artifacts

Historic cultural material (May include any of the following items over 50 years old):

• Bottles, or other glass
• Cans
• Ceramics
• Milled wood, brick, concrete, metal, or other building material
• Trash dumps
• Homesteads, building remains
• Logging, mining, or railroad features
• Piers, wharves, docks, bridges, dams, or shipwrecks
• Shipwrecks or other submerged historical objects

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The Air Operations Branch (Operations Section) will manage all aircraft operations related to a response and will coordinate the establishment of any Flight Restriction Zones as appropriate. Environmental Unit staff will work with the Air Operations Branch Director to resolve any conflicts that arise between flight activities and sensitive resources.

In addition to restrictions associated with wildlife, Tribal authorities may also request notification when overflights are likely to affect culturally sensitive areas within reservations. See Oil Spill Best Management Practices (NWRCP Section 9301) for more information on the use of aircraft and helicopters in open water and shoreline responses.

Wildlife Deterrence: The Wildlife Deterrence Unit within the Wildlife Branch (Operations Section) manages wildlife deterrence operations. These are actions intended to minimize injuries to wildlife by keeping animals away from the oil and cleanup operations. Deterrence activities may include using acoustic or visual deterrent devices, boats, aircraft or other tools. The Wildlife Branch works with state and federal agencies, and the Environmental Unit (Planning Section), to develop deterrence plans as appropriate. For more information, see the Northwest Wildlife Response Plan (NWRCP Section 9310) and Northwest Area Wildlife Deterrence Resources (NWRCP Section 9311).

Oiled Wildlife: Capturing oiled wildlife may be hazardous to both personnel and the affected animals. Incident personnel should not try to approach or capture oiled wildlife but should report any observations of oiled wildlife to the Wildlife Branch (Operations Section). For more information, see the Northwest Wildlife Response Plan (NWRCP Section 9310).

Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges: There are no federally designated wilderness areas present in this planning area. The USWFS manages the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.

Aquatic Invasive Species: The waters of this region may contain aquatic invasive species (AIS) – species of plants and/or animals that are not native to an area and that can be harmful to an area’s ecosystem. If so, preventative actions may be required to prevent the spread of these species as a result of spill response activities and the Environmental Unit is able to recommend operational techniques and strategies to assist with this issue.