Alex Harwell, former UW Masters Student, presented her research on the recovery of KA'QSK, or sweetgrass, at the Nisqually Delta. Sweetgrass is a culturally important plant, so Alex relied on scientific data as well as traditional ecological knowledge.

1. THE RESTORATION OF KA'QSXʷ [SWEETGRASS
(SCHOENOPLECTUS PUNGENS) ] IN THE NISQUALLY
DELTA: AN ETHNOBOTANI CAL RESTORATION EFFORT
ALEX HARW ELL
SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF W ASHINGTON

2. S H O U T O U T
Deep appreciation to:
Nisqually Indian Tribe
Joyce McCloud
Hanford McCloud
Nisqually Natural Resource Department
Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
Kern Ewing
Caren Crandell
SEFS Department
friends and family

3. O U T L I N E
• Introduction
• Nisqually People
• Changes in the Nisqually Delta
• Sweetgrass (Schoenoplectus pungens)
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion-so what?

4. How did this project come about?
Through developing a relationship with native plants
in the Pacific Northwest, I became interested in how
people have used these plants for thousands of
years.
Plants that are used for food, fiber, medicine, or
spiritual value = culturally significant plants

5. - A L B E R T E I N S T E I N
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
“We cannot solve our problems with the same
thinking we used when we created them.”

6. P U R P O S E
• The purpose of this study is to (i)
define current plant associations
in the area, (ii) develop
propagation protocol for S.
pungens including habitat
preferences and requirements,
and (iii) identify reestablishment
location and growth of S. pungens

7. Nisqually Watershed Restoration

8. NISQUALLY DELTA

9. E S T U A R Y = W HE R E S A L T A N D F R E S H W A T E R
M EET
A L S O A C O N F L U E N C E O F C U L T U R E A N D
B I O L O G I CA L P R O D U C T I V IT Y
Chedd-Angier www.nwplants.org www.wnps.org

10. S Q U A L L I - A B A S H “ T H E
P E O P L E O F T H E
G R A S S C O U N T R Y ,
T H E P E O P L E O F T H E
R I V E R ” .
-CECELIA SVINTH CARPENTER
SQUALLI PLACE NAMES
Smith 1969

11. Environmental Changes

12. – J O H N N Y A P P L E S E E D
Treaty Trees
Washington State Historical Society

13. Building of the Dike 1904
Washington State Historical Society

14. “The Brown dairy maintained 300 milking cows, a milking barn capable
of accommodating 250 cows at once, a calf barn for 100 young stock
and 50 milk cows, and a creamery...small beekeeping
operation...chicken operation (20,000 birds/year)...two laying houses
(4,000 hens)...hog department (1200)...for the farm products destined
for sale, a small factory produced shipping boxes.”
Washington State Historical Society

15. L A G R A N D E A N D A L D E R D A M S - 1 9 4 5
Environmental Change
Tacoma Power
Tacoma Power

16. Forest
Prairie
Lake
Top: Prairies in the
1800s constructed
from land use and
and other historical
records.
Bottom: Shrinking
of prairie area by
the late 20th
century.
Source: Arthur
Kruckeberg
Natural History of the
Puget Sound
Change in
extent of
the
Nisqually
prairies
over the
last 150
years.

17. Boldt Decision 1974
Reestablished Treaty Fishing Rights:
-Washington tribes were allowed to fish “at all usual and accustomed
grounds”, which meant both on and off assigned reservations.
-Washington Tribes were also promised 50% of the annual salmon
catch- to be split equally between native and non-native fishermen.
Co-management of the shared salmon resource
between the State of Washington and Tribes
Billy Frank Jr. 1973

18. NISQUALLY DELTA DIKE REMOVAL

19. Dike Removal

20. N W S W E E T G R A S S ,
S C H O E N O P L E C T U S P U N G E N S ,
K A ' Q S X ʷ
Caren Crandell

21. FAMILY: CYPERACEAE- SEDGE
RHIZOMATOUS, PERENNIAL
LIVES IN LOW ELEVATION SALT
MARSH
TOLERATES HIGH SALINITY
ONE OF THE FIRST PLANTS TO
ESTABLISH
SCHOENOPLECTUS PUNGENS

22. Burke Museum
Basket Collection
Louisa Pulsifer
2.5E1618
2.5E1175
2.5E1157

23. LARGE KNOWN STANDS:
GRAYS HARBOR,
SKAGIT, AND NOOKSACK
HERBARIUM SPECIMENS
FROM ALL OVER THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
INTERVIEWS WITH
WEAVERS AND
ECOLOGISTS
ALL POINT TO THE
POSSIBILITY THAT
PRE-CONTACT
S. PUNGENS WAS
FOUND IN WETLANDS
ALL AROUND THE PUGET
SOUND

24. 2011 1000 BARE ROOT
PLANTS WERE PLANTED IN
THE REFUGE (WEST SIDE)
2013 1980 BARE ROOT
PLANTS WERE PLANTED ON
TRIBAL LANDS (EAST SIDE)

25. Planted Stands at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

28. source: WA DOE

30. METHODS
-Salinity
-Soil samples
-Elevation
-Vegetation Surveys
-Germination
-Interviews
-Historical Maps
-Museum Collections

31. E L E V A T I O N - L O W ( 1 . 5 M )
USGS 2011

32. S O I L - S A N D Y S O I L S P R E F E R R E D ( E W I N G 2 0 1 4 )
P U G E T S I L T L O A M
S U L T A N S I L T L O A M

33. Schoenoplectus pungens (Sweetgrass)
-Low marshes
-Tolerates high
salinity (0-17ppt)
-Daily inundation
-Grows in silt loam,
sandy clay soil
Site 1, 3

34. A P R I L 2 0 1 5
Start of the Growing Season
year 3!

35. HOPE TO HARVEST
WSU Library special collection

36. - B I L L Y F R A N K J R .
“That is not to say that people cannot use the productive natural resources of the nisqually River
Watershed. There is room for the farmer, rancher, and forester, as well as for the Indian
fisherman. However, those who use these natural resources also must accept the responsibility
for good stewardship. Decisions made today must insure a healthy and productive natural
resource base for the future”

37. “Type a quote here.”

38. -Washington State Historical Society
-Army Corps of Engineers. Wetland Plants of the
Pacific Northwest. Seattle District. 1984.
-Burk Museum
-Nisqually Indian Tribe
-Skokomish Indian Tribe
-Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
-US Geological Survey
-Nisqually Land Trust