If you eat right and exercise regularly, your body should remain healthy. Olympic's ecosystem should also remain healthy if it receives a steady supply of food, nutrients and water . Although Olympic's rivers have seasonal flooding from fall and winter rains and spring snowmelt, the forests that surround each river help to regulate the flow of water into the rivers. They act as a sponge, slowly releasing water into the rivers throughout the year. It is also important for the rivers to have a steady pulse of nutrients and fish in the rivers.
Different species spawn at different times, maximizing the productivity of the river.
Fishery researchers study the pulse of fish in order to manage fish populations and harvests appropriately. Managing for Harvests As outlined in Olympic's enabling legislation , we must protect Olympic National Park's resources for the enjoyment of future generations. With all the pressures facing the park, this is a difficult task. One step in protection is to limit what is removed from the park. Therefore, park managers rarely allow harvest of Olympic's resources in hopes that the system will remain undisturbed.