Project Spotlight: Starbird Creek Fish Passage Improvement

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In 2022, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group worked with a private landowner to remove two culverts that severely limited fish passage in Starbird Creek, a tributary to Fisher Creek within the Skagit Watershed. This project continued the efforts of a 2014 project on Starbird Creek where additional fish passage barriers were removed and replaced with a 60 foot long bridge.

Starbird Creek prior to culvert removal

 

 

The Family Forest Fish Passage Program funded the recent project to remove and replace these two side-by-side barrier culverts with an additional bridge, making the space more accessible for fish and people alike. SFEG hired Harkness Heavy Inc. to remove vegetation from the site, staged and laid the bridge pieces, and dug the channel out into its natural shape prior to the installation of the bridge. During construction, SFEG relocated over 800 fish and amphibians to safe conditions, demonstrating the importance this habitat holds within its greater watershed. Species found in the creek include coho, steelhead, cutthroat trout, giant pacific salamanders, and rough skinned newts. Following the completion of the project, a staggering 6.2 miles of crucial habitat was opened for these species. With funding from the Family Forest Fish Passage Program, a program that supports removal of fish passage barriers on privately owned land, this culvert removal and subsequent bridge construction became a win-win situation both for the species found in the creek and for Loren Fuell, the owner of the land, who gained a brand new bridge.

 

 

Inlet after bridge installation

Check out a video about the project here!

 

Are you interested in having fish passage restored on your land?

Inquire with us to find out if your site qualifies for funding: sfeg@skagitfisheries.org

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to involving our community in restoring salmon populations for future generations.  Our work benefits not only salmon but our entire community that values clean water, abundant fish and wildlife, enjoyable recreation opportunities, and a beautiful Skagit Valley.  With your help, we envision a future of healthy streams teeming with salmon for our community to enjoy.

Project Spotlight: Cold Creek Tributary Fish Passage Improvement

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This project, completed in 2022, removed an undersized culvert and improved fish passage on an unnamed tributary of Cold Springs Creek in the Nookachamps watershed. This fish passage barrier was removed and replaced with a galvanized steel arch pipe that meets the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) recommendations for fish passage requirements. The WDFW defines fish passage barriers as items like “road culverts, dams, dikes, and other obstructions — [that] reduce the distribution and habitat available to fish, including salmon and steelhead”.

 

Cold Springs Creek Tributary prior to culvert removal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was one of many projects SFEG has taken on to remove and replace such barriers with accommodations that will allow unrestricted fish passage.  Due to the slope of the old culverts, coho, rainbow trout, and sea run cutthroat trout were blocked from migrating 100% of the time, but this new larger culvert on the unnamed tributary now grants these fish access to 2 miles of previously unused spawning and rearing habitat. Funding from the Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP), a program that supports removal of fish passage barriers on privately owned land, allowed for this project to be mutually beneficial to fish and the landowners alike. 

Inlet after culvert removal and construction of new pipe

Responsible Recreation by Holly Henderson

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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!