This species inhabits small, cold mountain headwater streams and spring seepages within coastal coniferous forests. Occupied stream segments tend to be shallow and slow flowing, and have gravel or rock rubble with low levels of silt (WDFW 2020). This species reproduces by larval development, with the larval period likely lasting 3–4.5 years (Nussbaum and Tait 1977). Larvae are often observed under stones in shaded streams. Adults also inhabit these streams or stream sides in saturated moss-covered talus, or under rocks in splash zone. This species can also sometimes be found on the eastern side of the Olympic Mountains, where conditions are drier and warmer due to the rain shadow effect (Green et al. 2014), though the species appears to be absent from the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula (Bury and Adams 2000; Kurtz 2020). This species is stream-adapted and therefore intolerant of desiccation. It is thought to be sensitive to increased temperature and sedimentation.

This species is known only from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, USA, with the known southern boundary of the distribution near the Chehalis River (Green et al. 2014). This includes the counties of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Mason (Good and Wake 1992). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 9,301 km².

Conservation Actions In-Place
Most known occurrences (48%) are within Olympic National Park, with an additional 26% of sites within the Olympic National Forest. The National forest occurrences are within late-successional reserves and adaptive management areas that provide a degree of riparian habitat protection (WDFW 2020). For the past two decades, forestry regulations in the Olympic National Forest have required riparian buffers when timber harvesting takes place (USDA/USDI 1994, Martens et al. 2019) and the Olympic National Park no longer allows frequent timber harvest (Kurtz 2020). For those sites located on privately or state owned forestlands managed for timber, headwater streams are managed according to their respective Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), which were approved by USFWS. Protections for non-fish-bearing headwater streams under the Forest Practices HCP (WADNR 2006) require leave-tree riparian buffers along at least 50% of the stream length, as well as leave-tree buffers around headwall and side-slope seeps. One intent of the buffers around seeps is to protect unique features that provide known habitat and oviposition sites for some stream-associated amphibians, including Olympic Torrent Salamanders..  This species was proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2012, however, USFWS (2015) found that the petition did not provide substantial information to warrant a listing. 

Conservation Needed
Forested riparian buffers that provide stream shading, near-stream terrestrial ambient moisture regimes, large wood recruitment, and dispersal habitat will benefit the species (WDFW 2020). Future evaluations focused on evaluating how effective current rules for headwater streams and seeps are in protecting those features, their functions and the species associated with them would be valuable. Future investigations could evaluate riparian buffer width and configuration, as well as considerations for population connectivity. Continued and strengthened management of existing protected areas is also recommended.

Research Needed
More information is needed on this species' distribution, population status, ecology, and threats, particularly in areas expected to be substantially impacted by changes in climate.