northern slopes of Mount Skokomish. It flows west into Olympic National Park. The valley of the North Fork Skokomish is used for one of the national park's main backcountry hiking trails. At the junction of Nine Stream, the river turns south, then turns southeast and receives a number of tributaries including Four Stream and Slate Creek. The river rushes over Staircase Rapids shortly upriver from Staircase Campground and the national park's Staircase Ranger Station. The Staircase area is the main entry into the southeast portion of Olympic National Park. The North Fork receives Elk Creek at the campground and Lincoln Creek shortly downstream. The river then meanders southeast into Lake Cushman, a reservoir created to supply Tacoma with electricity. The tributary Big Creek enters the lake near Lake Cushman State Park. The North Fork exits Lake Cushman's southern end and flows a short distance to another reservoir, Lake Kokanee, from which it flows south into the Skokomish Valley to join the South Fork, forming the main stem Skokomish River. Lake Cushman and Lake Kokanee are maintained by Cushman Dam No. 1 and Cushman Dam No. 2 respectively. Until recently the entire flow of the North Fork is normally diverted at Cushman Dam No. 2, except for instream flow requirements and infrequent larger releases. On January 12, 2009, Tacoma Power, the Skokomish Tribe, and state and federal agencies signed settlement agreements that resolved long-standing disputes and damage claims relating to the Cushman Hydroelectric Project. As part of the settlement water will be released into the North Fork Skokomish River below the dams in order to mimic natural flow. History Prior to the construction of the Cushman Hydroelectric Project, the Skokomish River was once the largest and most productive salmon-producing river in the Hood Canal region of Puget Sound. The name "Skokomish" comes from the Twana sqʷuqʷóʔbəš, also spelled sqWuqWu'b3sH, and meaning "river people" or "people of the river". The Skokomish were one of the largest of the nine different Twana village communities that existed before about 1860. By their locations, the nine groups were the Dabop, Quilcene, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Hoodsport, Skokomish, Vance Creek, Tahuya, and Duhlelap communities. Within these nine communities there were at least 33 settlements. The South Fork's drainage was heavily logged, although logging has been significantly reduced in the Olympic National Forest since the late 1980s. Flooding The Skokomish is the most flood-prone river in Washington State, as