62 



Rainfall, not snow melt, almost 

 exclusively drives the annual rise 

 and fall of streamflow throughout the 

 Basin. 



CHEHAI.IS BASIN STREAMFLOWS 



J\ 



• KaUt WUlwi 



I ^ Lomi Oih 



Kia^cullp* 



L 



tut* 



AM MAY JtW JOT. ADO SKF 



Fijurt 3 . Mean monthly uuinlltwi in the ChciuUi Bash . 



ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DESCRIPTION 



The Chehalis Basin is generally rural. The primary industries are forest 

 products, followed by agriculture, tourism, and fiBhing. The area has higher 

 unemployment than the state as a whole due primarily to increasing automation 

 in the wood products industry and declining timber production (GHRPC 1992). 

 Its inhabitants urgently seek economic diversification in the face of recent 

 declines in availability of old growth timber from federal lands, primarily to 

 the north of the Basin; old growth timber had until recently provided 

 significant economic value in the Basin. Fishery development is seen as part 

 of general tourism promotion in Grays Harbor County (Larry Wilder, Grays 

 Harbor Tourism Council, pers. comm. ) . 



Demographics 



The Basin's population of about 117,000 has remained steady over the last ten 

 years (Table 2). The largest incorporated area is the Aberdeen-Cosmopolis- 

 Hoquiam complex. This area lost about eight percent of its population probably 

 due to timber industry declines and cessation of construction at the Satsop 

 nuclear plants. Small timber-dependent towns close to Aberdeen, such as 

 Montesano and Elma, have similarly declined (OFM 1991). 



The next largest concentration of population is in Centralis and Chehalis. 

 This area has grown slightly, probably reflecting the residential sprawl from 

 Olympia. The only other rapidly growing community is Ocean Shores, which is 

 residential but depends largely on recreation. 



About half of the Basin residents live in unincorporated areas (Table 2), 

 primarily in Lewis and Thurston Counties. This population has grown rapidly, 

 due to suburban expansion south from Olympia, but the trend is slowing. For 

 example, from 1970 to 1980 the Black River watershed population doubled, but 

 from then to 1990 it grew only 37 percent (Palmer, in prep.). 



