“By virtue of its high productivity, diversity, continuity, and critical contributions to both aquatic and upland ecosystems, riparian habitat provides a rich and vital resource to Washington’s fish and wildlife. Riparian habitat occurs as an area adjacent to rivers, perennial or intermittent streams, seeps, and springs throughout Washington…Riparian areas contain elements of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems which mutually influence each other and occur as transitions between aquatic and upland habitats.”

-WDFW’s ‘Management Recommendations for Washington’s Priority Habitats: Riparian’ publication

Cornet Bay and Bowman Bay

For about 5 years SFEG has worked with partners like Washington State Parks and Northwest Straits Foundation to help restore rearing beach habitat. Cornet Bay and Bowman Bay are two great examples of removing riprap, or stones placed along banks to prevent beach erosion, and replacing it with a natural pacific northwest beach. Both projects took out the riprap, restructured the beach, planted new native plants along the beach and are now monitoring the beaches progress through fish seining and vegetation monitoring. Although the project’s construction phase is near completion there will still be monitoring in the future. See a video about Bowman Bay here. The pictures above (Cornet Bay) and below (Bowman Bay) show the progress of our restoration of rearing beach habitat.

Utopia Road 

The Utopia Conservation Area protects over 87 acres of creeks, wetlands, and forested habitat within the Skagit River floodplain. It was acquired in 2012 and 2014 by the Skagit Land Trust primarily to protect the salmon habitat found in Wiseman Creek/Black Slough and the Skagit River which typically flows through and adjacent to the property.

In 2013 SLT began a restoration project in partnership with SFEG, with funding from Puget Sound Energy, across 45 acres of key habitat. Restoration actions on site will continue through 2017. To date approximately 12 acres of native plants have been installed the site. This has included field conversion and interplanting in the previously existing 100ft planting buffer along Black Slough. Multiple volunteer planting events have been held on site as part of the restoration process. The site provides suitable habitat for a variety of bird and wildlife species, and thus the plan has included the installation of 3-5 wood duck nest boxes in the riparian forest adjacent to Black Slough. Bird boxes are maintained annually by the volunteer land steward.

Skagit River Rural Community Riparian Stewardship

This project, funded by the Department of Ecology and the Rose Foundation, is intended to educate and involve citizens from small communities in the Skagit floodplain in riparian stewardship. As part of the project, SFEG is restoring 25 acres of riparian buffer by planting native floodplain vegetation and constructing over 4000 feet of livestock exclusion fencing at four sites. The sites include Riverfront Park in Sedro Wooley, The Skagit Land Trust’s Utopia Complex conservation site near Lyman, conservation lands acquired by the Town of Hamilton, and Seattle City Light’s Iron Mountain Ranch property near Concrete. Each site is located along a water quality impaired stream or Skagit River side channel that is impacted by livestock grazing and lack of shade. 
 
The project will educate community members from the Skagit and beyond about the importance of healthy riparian forests to water quality and fish habitat. SFEG hosts both school programs and community work parties to get people excited and involved with clean water and healthy ecosystems. The Department of Ecology also provides funds for our Junior Stream Stewards and Kids in Creek programs for children living in the middle Skagit.  

SFEG does utilize herbicide to control invasive weeds on project sites where that is the only effective means of control. For more information please read the SFEG Weed Control Policy.