View our latest posts: From the Field

Lorenzan Creek Fish Rescue

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juvenile coho salmon moved from the dredging area.

Kyle, Sue and SFEG’s brand new WCC member Taylor have been having a grand time recently helping the Town of Concrete safely remove fish from Lorenzan Creek to accomplish some long-deferred maintenance.  Dredging is never a good solution, and we are very pleased that Mayor Jason Miller is strongly supporting a long-term solution that would daylight the creek and hopefully result in some substantial improvements to habitat.  In the meantime, since flooding not only affects local residents, but also frequently results in both juvenile and adult salmon being stranded in yards, roads and ditches, SFEG is working with the town to ensure fish that currently reside in the creek are relocated to undisturbed habitat.  We have enjoyed working with Rich, Tom and Dale from the Concrete Public Works Department, plus a cadre of staunch volunteers both from the Town and SFEG’s hardcore “regulars”.  A big shout out to Ray H., who took three days’ vacation to help, since he sees first-hand the problem flooding causes in his own backyard.  We’ve rescued dozens of juvenile coho salmon and resident cutthroat trout from the work area over the past few days.

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“The crew” Thanks everyone!

Upper Day Slough Bridge Complete!

Check out SFEG’s latest fish passage improvement project!  The poorly maintained culverts on Upper Day Slough have long been an impediment to chum, Chinook and other fish moving through this Skagit River side channel, and SFEG has wanted to fix them for more than a decade.

Blue circles represent the former culvert on the new bridge.

Blue circles represent the former culvert on the new bridge.

 

 

On September 22, Moceri Inc from Bellingham started work to replace the old culverts with a shiny new bridge.  The bridge was in place by Friday 9/23 and as of today work on the project is wrapping up.  These projects benefit both fish and landowners, and are an incredibly cost-effective way of restoring habitat.

Laying the gravel on the road

This is the 5th such bridge SFEG has worked on with engineer Paul Tappel of Fisheries Engineers Inc.  Design for this project was paid for by the State Salmon Recovery Board, and construction costs were funded by Puget Sound Energy as part of their Baker River relicense Aquatic and Riparian Habitat Improvement program.  Special thanks to landowners Tony and Hilda Becerra, and all of the Day Creek meadows folks for putting up with the inconvenience while we work.   Now we can sit back and wait for the fish to show up.

 

Blackberry!

dscf0212Restoration can be hard work!  SFEG field Staff Stephanie Blevens, Jen Dunn, and Catherine Harris (not shown) battle a 2 acre monoculture of blackberry on private property along Walker Creek.  This is being done in effort to increase the riparian buffer, improve water quality, reduce erosion, and create habitat for the many creatures that live in and around the creek.  Blackberry is an incredibly invasive plant that, when left unmaintained, will engulf native trees and shrubs, reducing diversity in the understory.