Hansen Creek 20 Years On | Project 8 of 30

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Hansen Creek is a large creek that flows south from Lyman Hill to the Skagit River, just east of Sedro-Woolley.  It is a major feature of the grounds at the former Northern State Hospital, now home to the SWIFT Center and Northern State Recreation Area.

All five species of Pacific salmon inhabit Hansen Creek, plus steelhead trout.  Multiple community partners have implemented restoration projects in the Hansen Creek system, including Skagit River System Cooperative and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.

Restoration was begun by SFEG in the late 90s, with bank stabilization, in-stream structures, and extensive riparian planting happening throughout the Northern State campus.  Back then we had our field shop and native plant nursery in unused portions of the campus, and we frequently used Hansen Creek restoration sites for training volunteers in field monitoring protocols.

Now most of the reaches where SFEG’s restoration occurred are adjacent to public walking trails in Northern State Recreation Area, and anyone can enjoy these walks while taking in the sights and sounds of Hansen Creek and its wildlife.  On a recent visit it was fascinating to see elements of restoration 20+ years after implementation.  With the extensive planting done adjacent to the stream by volunteers over the years, there is dense habitat for birds and other wildlife. The park is managed for multiple use, including a frisbee golf course. It’s not uncommon to see horseback riders on the trails, and of course lots of dog walkers.

Several Earth Days have been celebrated along Hansen Creek.  Volunteers planted hundreds of native trees and shrubs in the upper reaches of the park, and wetland grasses in the lower section, where the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe has undertaken a project to restore the creek’s alluvial fan.

The alluvial fan wetland visible from Highway 20 looking north

SFEG’s upcoming Earth Day 2021 event will continue this tradition of improving riparian areas in celebration of the Earth.

Recent trail improvements along Hansen Creek have been undertaken by volunteers with Skagit Trail Builders.  Check out their website for more information and to help out!

More information on Swift Center Here

Northern State Recreation Area

For more on the fascinating history of Northern State Hospital check out the book Under The Red Roof: One Hundred Years At Northern State Hospital by M J McGoffin

Riverfront Park: Then and Now | Project 7 of 30

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Riverfront Park: Then and Now

Riverfront Park is a 35 acre property situated at the banks of the lower main-stem of the Skagit River in south Sedro-Woolley. The park was developed in 1984 and now includes a dog park, several sports fields, and a place for RV’s and campers to settle in for the night. 

Funding from the Rose Foundation and Washington State Department of Ecology has allowed SFEG to restore 7 acres of the city park property over the past few years. You wouldn’t know when visiting the park now but the restoration site, adjacent to the dog park, was covered in a swath of Himalayan blackberry and reed canary grass. These invasive species do not promote a healthy and balanced ecosystem, as they create a monoculture, by out-competing all other species that could potentially grow and thrive in the area. 

Blackberry before SFEG restoration

Riverfront after restoration and plantings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout 2018, the site was prepped for the first stage of restoration.  Once the invasive species were removed by chemical and mechanical means, volunteers came out to the park alongside SFEG staff to take part in a number of tasks during the fall of 2019 for Make a Difference Day. Trails were built and a variety of native species were planted to promote a more healthy and stable ecosystem. Further, interpretive signs were installed at the site to inform the community of the purpose and importance of the project and how it enhances salmon habitat.

The side channel that runs through the restoration site

Olivia Hubert leading the pink group section during the Fall 2020 planting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the first plantings, vegetation surveys have been conducted to determine the survival of the plants. Staff and crews have weeded, mowed, and mulched to maintain the space around the plants in the summer. While in the Fall of 2020, another volunteer planting occurred in conjunction with the celebration of Orca Recovery Day, to replace the trees that didn’t survive the first season. The trickling stream running through the site is slated for passage barrier restoration in the future. When salmon do return, they will find a healthy riparian buffer that will help provide them with clean, cold, and clear water. This work is just the beginning of making Riverfront Park a bountiful land for all kinds of native species and people to enjoy.

Riverfront Planting  Volunteer Interview 

Sowing the Seeds of Hope | Project 6 of 30

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“He who plants a tree, plants a hope” 

-Lucy Larcom, from her poem “Plant a Tree”

SFEG’s native plant nursery sprouted from humble beginnings way back in the 1990s, on borrowed land at the Northern State Campus with help from the Cascades Job Corps program headquartered there.  Thousands of donated or cheaply acquired trees and shrubs were heeled in to await planting at restoration sites.  Our current Stewardship Coordinator, Bengt Miller, was our Washington Conservation Corps member at the time, and helped start our nursery with a donation from San Juan Conservation District. In spring 2000, a potted nursery was started there, with plants salvaged from nearby properties, rescued from the rejects pile at area plant sales, or gotten by some other cost-effective means.  A dozen years of trial and error happened there with the help of so many volunteers, under the watchful guidance of late SFEG Board Member Jim Thomas. 

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In late 2012 the nursery was moved to its current location, and the Samish Tribe has been a great partner in this endeavor.  The nursery is nestled between Burlington and Sedro-Woolley on the banks of Thomas Creek.  Through an agreement with the Samish Indian Tribe, SFEG rents tribal-owned land for the purpose of growing native plants for future restoration projects. At maximum capacity our nursery holds about 10,000 plants, and anyone who has attended a potting party or weeded over the summer has seen it in its full glory!

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We’ve battled snow, ice, flooding, and wandering cows over the years, and often have the company of assorted wildlife onsite.  Oh, and a global pandemic. Never a dull moment, for sure. If you are one of the hundreds of volunteers who’ve helped out at our nursery over the past two plus decades we thank you!  You are helping us grow the plants that will shade the salmon, feed the macroinvertebrates, stabilize the banks, and provide riparian habitat for countless species in the Skagit Watershed. THANK YOU!

 

-Lucy DeGrace, Outreach Manager