The Dungeness River flows for approximately 28 miles through Washington's Olympic Peninsula, draining a 260-square-mile watershed in Clallam County. Located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the river originates in the Olympic National Forest and flows northeast to empty into the Strait of Juan de Fuca near the town of Sequim. This unique geographic position creates one of the driest climates in western Washington, with the Sequim area receiving only about 16 inches of annual rainfall. Historically, the Dungeness was one of the most productive salmon rivers in Puget Sound relative to its size, supporting nine species of anadromous salmonids. The river features a diverse ecosystem with gravel spawning beds, side channels, and estuarine habitat that provide critical rearing and spawning areas for fish populations.