The Endangered Species Act of 1973 “provides a framework for conserving and protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats” (Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service).  This key piece of environmental legislation has led to the successful protection (and even recovery) of many native species of plants and animals, including the American peregrine falcon, bald eagle, southern sea otter, humpback whale, and the green sea turtle.  However two iconic “listed” species in our own backyards: Southern Resident Killer Whale and Puget Sound Chinook salmon have not yet joined the list of recovered species.  

The Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan is an essential, science-based document that guides local restoration projects. In addition to laying out restoration goals and methods, this document also specifies high priority areas for restoration and conceptual projects for these. Nearly 15 years later, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group is currently in construction for one of these important projects, the Skagit Forks Wetland Reconnection Project.

The Skagit Forks Wetland Reconnection project is located close to the center of Mt. Vernon on public property within one of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Skagit Wildlife Areas on the river side of the dike. This project will restore high quality rearing habitat, which salmon and trout need in order to survive their first months. Experts agree that a lack of quality rearing habitat is a critical issue that is limiting the ability of Chinook populations to recover. Skagit Chinook require both freshwater habitat, such as side channels and wetlands, as well as estuary habitat in their early life, but there are not enough of these habitats available. Restoration projects that open up more of this freshwater rearing habitat benefit Chinook salmon (Source: Beamer et al 2005).

Historically, this wetland in the floodplain was well connected to both the Skagit River and Britt Slough, but human modifications in the early 1900s changed this. For the past few decades, the wetland was only connected with the Skagit River a few times a year during high flows. At those times, river water would fill the wetland and baby salmon would come with it, seeking shelter from the harsh river current.  When the river level decreased a short time later, the wetland would become isolated, trapping any baby salmon still there. For several weeks these salmon would have a great life, enjoying plenty of food, shelter, and space. Skagit Fisheries collected years of pre-project data and observed coho, pink, and Chinook juveniles in the wetland thrive during this time period, typically in early spring.  However, eventually the wetland would dry up and all of these juvenile salmon would ultimately die, unable to return to the river due to these floodplain modifications. 

Construction that started in May is well underway! This summer, an additional 7.8 acres of off-channel wetland rearing habitat will be reconnected to both Britt Slough and the Skagit River, improving the function of roughly 50 acres of floodplain. Not only will this allow juvenile salmon to have easier access to this critically limited nursery habitat at lower river flows, it will also give them more time to leave the wetland. Ultimately, this will increase their chances of feeding an orca, supporting the livelihood of local fishermen, reaching a Skagit resident’s dinner plate, or returning to its native stream to reproduce.   

 

Citations: 

US fish and Wildlife service: https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/endangered-species-act.html#:~:text=The%20Endangered%20Species%20Act%20(ESA,threatened%20species%20and%20their%20habitats.

EPA: https://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/chinook-salmon#:~:text=Salish%20Sea%20Chinook%20salmon%20populations,shown%20a%20relatively%20stable%20trend.

NOAA Orca: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/endangered-species-conservation/southern-resident-killer-whale-orcinus-orca

NOAA Chinook: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/chinook-salmon-protected

Adapted Chinook Recovery Plan: https://www.skagitwatershed.org/wp-content/uploads/SkagitChinookRecoveryPlan13.pdf

Beamer et al 2005: http://skagitcoop.org/wp-content/uploads/Appendix-C-Freshwater.pdf