Bowman Bay volunteers building resilience for people and ecosystems
By Adam Airoldi, SFEG Riparian Restoration Manager
Deception Pass holds a unique position in our local ecosystem as the first access to the open ocean for out-migrating salmon from the Skagit and Stillaguamish watersheds, as well as the numerous spawning streams on Camano and east Whidbey Island. Coastal marine habitat is critical to salmon as they transition from freshwater to saltwater life. Volunteers at restoration projects at Cornet Bay and Bowman Bay are actively improving survival of these juvenile fish, building populations of spawning salmon and providing an essential food source for endangered Southern Resident orca. Volunteers have planted thousands of trees and shrubs and helped reestablish native coastal vegetation by pulling invasive weeds, watering in drought years, and building soil fertility by mulching. Park users have been treated to native wildflowers blooming in the spring and summer, and can take shelter from winter storms under trees planted nearly a decade ago.
As climate change continues to alter historic weather patterns, our native ecosystems are subject to changing precipitation patterns, extended droughts, record heat, and extremes in wind and rainfall events. The forests and ecosystems that define the Pacific Northwest face the reality of these new conditions, which further increase threats from invasive species, insects, and disease. Volunteer restoration efforts are helping build future resilience by establishing native vegetation under this new climate paradigm. These new plantings by necessity will seek water and nutrients from a lower summer water table, and can be adaptable to conditions that test the limits of established forests. Many endemic species (local to this specific area), having never experienced such extremes, need to use stored resources to adapt, reducing their ability to tolerate water stress or ward off attacks from insects or disease. Dieback in western redcedar tops is an example of stress manifesting in decline of a native species.
Many native species, like western redcedar, have a wide geographic range, which offers another method for building resilience. Skagit Fisheries has been working with plant suppliers to increase genetic diversity to the native species planted in restoration projects. These include western redcedar and other species native grown from seed from the south Puget Sound area, and other warmer, drier areas of their native range. This added genetic diversity in restoration projects helps ensure some individuals can be better suited to future conditions. A native seed from the Puget Lowland forest may sprout earlier and take advantage of favorable growing conditions in early spring, adding nutrients and carbohydrates to stores in the roots and helping the plant to weather stressful growing conditions later in the summer. By planting a portion of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous vegetation from these geographically and genetically diverse areas, volunteers help ensure that in the long run individual plants best suited to a site will be successful in establishment, growth, and reproduction. Volunteers also increase species diversity by removing invasive plants, making resources and growing space available for native plants. Controlling infestations of invasive weeds like Scotch broom, morning glory, or ivy is a challenge, but dedicated volunteers have spent over 1,000 hours on this critical task. The results of their efforts include improved survival of native plants, increased insect biodiversity and food for salmon, and improved water quality.
Building on the work to control invasive species, restoration sites are home to diverse native species suited to the area. At Bowman Bay for example, prior to the restoration and replanting, turf grass was the dominant vegetation along the beach. With the removal of the rock armoring and re-establishment of native plants, there are now over twenty species forming a buffer between the developed Park amenities and the beach. The same can be seen at Cornet Bay, where the restoration planting helps filter runoff from the road before it washes over the beach and into the ocean. Similar buffer plantings can be seen throughout the watershed reducing stormwater runoff, moderating air temperatures, reducing erosion. Native plants like dunegrass and ocean spray, adapted to life around Deception Pass help hold soils in place during severe storms. Others like coastal gumweed and red alder help enrich the soil and create self-sustaining plant communities. Enhanced species diversity helps ensure that every niche in the ecosystem is filled. From the Pacific silverweed on the beach to the spiraea in the wetlands to the salal in the rocky clefts, native plants established with the help of volunteers can then compete with invasive species.
Although we face challenges today and in the future to ensure the Pacific Northwest is a green and vibrant place, our partners and volunteers are building the resilience needed to secure a future for the fish, plants, and people of our communities. Resilience comes from being able to solve challenges together, whether as an ecosystem or a community. SFEG could not deliver on habitat restoration needs without the community volunteers, students, and partners who share in this vision for healthy communities and ecosystems. We look forward to carrying on these efforts and continuing to engage the wonderful volunteers to ensure that future generations of people and salmon can thrive. We have more work to do!
If you would like to help at our final Bowman Bay work party of the season on September 8, contact Lucy at sfeg@skagitfisheries.org
For more on invasive species check out the State Noxious Weed Control Board and the SFEG post on knotweed eradication:
http://www.skagitfisheries.org/project-11-deception-pass/
https://www.skagitfisheries.org/eradicating-knotweed-in-the-upper-skagit-watershed/)
