Responsible Recreation by Holly Henderson

/in , , /by

Herd of elk viewed from a Skagit Fisheries vehicle

With warm weather finally making an appearance in western Washington (did anyone else feel like this past winter was painfully long?) many folks are choosing to get away this Memorial Day weekend. This time of year, it is more important than ever to take time to consider how you can be a respectful and active steward of the outdoors while traveling or recreating, when spaces are crowded and being used daily. Responsible recreation means different things for different activities – it could look like leaving wildlife alone/viewing from a safe distance on hikes, proper waste disposal, or inspecting/washing off water crafts after each use. No matter which activities you partake in this weekend, there are always ways to consider your impact on your surroundings and the greater environment. Habitat conservation is something that everyone can and should be involved in – do your part by taking small steps to lessen your impact on natural spaces. 

“Leave No Trace” is a phrase used in the greater recreation/conservation community that refers to taking actions to not leave a human “trace” in recreational areas. There are 7 main principles of the concept – read more here!

Another way to recreate responsibly this weekend is to take a micro adventure; a short trip that is environmentally conscious, less than 4 hours car travel from where you call home, enhances the economy of where you travel to, and is generally inexpensive. Anything from a trip to a local State Park for a walk from a weekend trip to Steven’s Pass can be considered a micro adventure. These short and sweet trips are great options for full-time working folks that want to get away for the day or a night (or two). Reframing a short trip as a micro adventure helps put things into perspective – in the Pacific Northwest we are blessed with natural beauty that folks travel incredible amounts of time and distances to see, but these spaces are in our backyard.

No matter how you spend your weekend, we at SFEG hope you have a fun, safe, and environmentally-aware few days! 

swede creek fish passage

Project Spotlight: Swede Creek Fish Passage Improvement

/in , , , /by

This project worked with a private landowner to complete a fish passage barrier removal project on Swede Creek; a tributary to the Samish River north of Sedro-Woolley. Using Family Forest Fish Passage Program funds, SFEG removed four undersized culverts that were creating a barrier to fish passage for coho salmon, steelhead trout, and sea-run cutthroat trout. A 40 ft steel bridge replaced these culverts, creating instant passage for salmon upstream. The Swede Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project built upon a previous downstream fish barrier removal project completed two years prior.

swede creek fish passage

This latest project, completed in 2021, opened fish access to an additional 0.7 miles of high-quality spawning and rearing habitat in Swede Creek including a 6-acre pond, and over 80-acres of wetland habitat.

After project completion, volunteers documented over 100 coho salmon spawning in Swede Creek for the first time in many years. Salmon are returning thanks to working with private landowners to remove these fish passage barriers along on Swede Creek at two locations. SFEG completed the first project in 2019, but salmonids did not make their way back into this Skagit tributary until the completion of the 2021 leg of this project. juvenile trout

Juvenile trout found in Swede Creek

Before the fish passage barrier removal project

newly installed bridge over creek

After the undersized culverts were removed and the bridge was installed

Project Spotlight: Britt Slough Skagit Forks Wetland Reconnection

/in , , /by

Where the Skagit River forks to create Fir Island, Skagit Fisheries implemented a restoration project to reconnect the outlet of Britt Slough and a large wetland complex to the South Fork of the Skagit River. This important Chinook recovery project took place in 2021 on Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) land located between the dike and the South Fork of the Skagit River. This project included engineering assistance provided by the Skagit Conservation District,

This project restored the connection of Britt Slough and a 7.8-acre wetland complex to the Skagit River; this restored off-channel habitat and wetland complex to the Skagit River provides much needed habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon in the lower Skagit floodplain. Young Chinook salmon seek out these areas of slow-moving water as they migrate to estuaries, places salmon can rest and grow to a larger size before reaching salt water. Access to this type of off-channel and wetland habitat is extremely limited in the lower Skagit River floodplain where most of the river is diked.

This project offered a unique opportunity to restore floodplain habitat between the dike and the river on publicly owned land. Skagit Fisheries staff, a Washington Conservation Corps crew, and student volunteers planted 6,950 trees along the restored channel and throughout the floodplain of the project site. This Britt Slough Project is included in the Intensively Monitored Watersheds (IMW) program which evaluates the effects of habitat restoration projects in the Skagit estuary on Chinook salmon growth and survival. Skagit Fisheries volunteers and staff participated in data collection to document salmon use prior to project construction. Skagit Fisheries looks forward to assisting tribal scientists with continuing to collect data at Britt Slough to detect changes in salmon production as a result of this project and as part of the larger study effort to quantify impacts of estuary restoration projects on Chinook salmon populations.

Seining Britt Slough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juvenile Chinook salmon found in Britt Slough