Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group

Support our mission to ensure that wild salmon are once again abundant in the Pacific Northwest!

The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group strives to deepen the connection between land, people, and salmon through restoration, education, and research.

For over 30 years, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group has implemented salmon restoration and research projects throughout the entire Hood Canal Watershed. These efforts not only benefit local salmon populations, but also support the ecological diversity and well-being of our local communities. In addition to habitat restoration and research, HCSEG carries out dozens of educational programs that are free to our community, supporting students, teachers, and life-long learners. HCSEG also provides internships and scholarships to local Hood Canal students each year.

In 2025, HCSEG:

• Installed 10,200+ native plants
• Surveyed 450 acres of riparian habitat for noxious weeds
• Counted 4,073 returning Summer Chum on the Union River
• Logged 11,986 community volunteer hours
• Connected with 4,583 youth through our education programs
• Renovated and re-opened the Theler Wetlands Nature Center

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Your Donations Directly Support Salmon Recovery

By donating to HCSEG, you are supporting critical salmon habitat restoration - from installing native plants to replacing undersized culverts and other fish passage barriers. You are also supporting essential fisheries research that contributes data for recovery efforts of salmon in the Hood Canal watershed. Your donations also support youth environmental education programs, which foster the next generation of environmental stewards and carry-on our work to protect and restore our salmon ecosystem.

Your donations also support the newly re-opened Theler Wetlands Nature Center, which serves as HCSEG's educational hub and gateway to the Theler Wetlands. The Nature Center provide interpretive programs, wildlife displays, volunteer opportunities, space for local events, workshops, and so much more for our community!

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About the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group

The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group is one of 12 original Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups, or RFEGs, created by the Washington State Legislature in 1990. There are now 14 RFEGs across Washington state. The RFEGs were created to be active partners in assisting Washington State in salmon recovery efforts, supported by community volunteers. The RFEGs were tasked with supplementing fish populations, restoring salmon habitat, and developing salmon-related education programs. The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation status in November 1990.

Located next to the Union River estuary, HCSEG’s headquarters, the Salmon Center, operates certified organic garden (with produce available to our community by donation only!), as well as a variety of farm animals to demonstrate how salmon, humans, and agriculture can coexist. The farm is also home to honeybees, a pollinator garden, and a dog park! 

HCSEG also maintains several miles of walking trails within the Union River Estuary, so that the public can enjoy this recently restored habitat and observe the rebound of nature in this critical salmon ecosystem. All of these amenities and spaces are free and open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk.