Freshwater DataStream

Station 18P070 Description

The McDonald Creek basin lies in the northeastern Olympic peninsula of Washington State, between the Dungeness River watershed and the Morse Creek watershed. The basin encompasses 23 square miles, with the upper reaches found in Olympic National Park at elevations of up to 5,060 feet. The river flows north from mountains for 13.6 miles before reaching the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A falls creates a barrier to anadromous fish at river mile 5.2. Also, a gravel bar sometimes delays salmon entry at the mouth during low flow periods. The gradient is predominately steep throughout the basin, although it moderates in the lower reaches. The stream channel is well defined, and bank vegetation is generally favorable for salmon except in the heaviest areas of residential development. During the irrigation season, McDonald Creek is used by the irrigation districts to transport Dungeness River water for irrigation purposes. Up to 5 cfs of Dungeness River water is diverted into McDonald Creek at river mile 4.1. The water is then removed again at river mile 3.2. During low flow periods, Dungeness River water could represent a significant portion of the flow in this reach.