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Salmon and the Nooksack Watershed
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For more information about salmon recovery
planning in this watershed, visit:
Whatcom
Salmon Recovery
Whatcom
County Public Works
Click here to
read this watershed's feedback summary.
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Key
Facts |
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The planning area for the
watershed for both salmon recovery and the state Watershed
Management Act is Watershed Resource Inventory Area (WRIA)
1. WRIA 1 encompasses the Nooksack River and its tributaries
in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, streams originating in
Whatcom County that flow north to the Fraser River, streams
that originate in Canada and flow south into Whatcom
County, and numerous independent streams that flow westward
into the marine waters of Whatcom County.
WRIA 1 contains
ESA threatened stocks of bull trout and chinook salmon
(North & Middle Fork Nooksack early
chinook, South Fork early chinook, and fall chinook).
Coho are a candidate being considered for listing under
the ESA.
The Whatcom County land designations in the
Nooksack watershed are 36% federal forest lands, 9.5%
state forest lands, 30% private forests, 11% agriculture,
10% rural and 3% urban. Of the 8% of land designations
outside Whatcom, 5% is rural residential (Canada) and
3% is forested (Canada and Skagit County).
Population
growth in the watershed is projected to be 38% between
2000 and 2020. |
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The Nooksack watershed is located in northwestern Washington, encompassing
Whatcom County and part of Skagit County, and reaching northward
into British Columbia. The watershed is large, covering over 830
square miles with more than 1,000 stream and river miles, and with
elevations ranging from sea level to the summit of Mt. Baker at 10,778
feet. The Nooksack's headwaters lie within National Park and National
Forest boundaries, with Mt. Shuksan the most photographed peak in
the United States, jutting out from North Cascades National Park.
Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan paint a dramatic picture of the unstable
geology that characterizes the upper reaches of the Nooksack River’s
three main forks: the North Fork, the Middle Fork, and the South
Fork. Water in all three forks originates as a combination of run-off
from rainfall and snowmelt, groundwater, and, in the case of the
North and Middle Forks, glacial melt. On a clear day, the mountain
peaks form an incredible backdrop to this spunky river, making it
a popular choice for white-water rafting. The rapids on the Nooksack
begin in the upper river as the river attempts to negotiate a narrow,
twisting and steep gorge choked with huge boulders. Eventually, the
gorge gives way to a wider valley which allows you to see the breathtaking
beauty of the North Cascades.
It is a sediment rich system with braiding channels of the Nooksack,
the milky-white North and Middle Forks, pose unique challenges to
both people and fish. Both threatened North/Middle Fork and South
Fork Chinook are considered essential to regional scale recovery
in Puget Sound.
The Nooksack River drains into a shoreline area rich in nearshore
habitat including Drayton Harbor and Birch, Lummi, Portage, Bellingham,
Chuckanut and Samish bays – areas prized by salmon for feeding
and taking refuge in preparation for their epic ocean migrations.
Much of the middle watershed is managed for timber production by
private timber companies and the Washington State Department of Natural
Resources. River valleys and the lower watershed support agriculture
and rapidly-developing residential areas.
Major Policy or Actions
Needed to Recover Salmon
One of the key actions identified by salmon recovery planners is
restoring passage to 15-plus miles of former salmon habitat in
the upper Middle Fork Nooksack River at the City of Bellingham’s
diversion dam. Plans are in place to do so. State-of–the-art
fish habitat modeling projects a 31 percent rise in North/Middle
Fork Nooksack early chinook abundance from this single action.
The South Fork stock of chinook is on the brink of extinction. Recovery
planners prioritized the need to develop and implement a comprehensive
South Fork plan to save this population. Actions needed include
addressing instream habitat, high summer stream temperatures, sedimentation,
riparian conditions and hatchery strays as well as potentially
creating a gene bank to preserve the native genetic pool. The South
Fork plan will include a robust monitoring and adaptive management
strategy. Funding and multi-stakeholder consensus are needed to
continue to move this issue forward.
Most of the mainstem of the Nooksack is leveed or armored to guard
against flooding. Mainstem habitat restoration is critical to recovery
efforts for the listed populations in the watershed. Planned actions
to restore mainstem habitat include creation of primary pools and
off-channel habitat. Through the Whatcom County River and Flood Division’s
new hydraulic flood model, the effect of actions such as levee setbacks
on flooding can now be predicted. Mapping and fish habitat analysis
of historic channel conditions will enable prioritization of recovery
actions. A joint commitment among key stakeholders and decision-makers
would make possible a comprehensive plan for the mainstem. Creation
of landowner incentives and stable funding would jump start implementation
in the next 5 to 10 years.
| We’re
Making Progress—Some Accomplishments |
Diverse
Partners Taking Action
The Nooksack Recovery Team partnership, which includes
the Lummi Nation, Nooksack Tribe, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement
Association, Whatcom County, BP, private timber companies,
Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom Conservation District,
private individuals, and others, has completed over
600 recovery actions to date to protect and restore
streamside habitat, improve forest road drainage and
fish passage and build strategically placed logjams.
Restoration and Community Involvement
The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association’s more
than 600 volunteers of all ages and from all walks of
life participate each year in habitat restoration projects,
stream monitoring and a host of other actions critical
to watershed health. Volunteers and staff annually restore
approximately 14 miles of stream and pot 15,000 native
plants for restoration while learning about their local
ecosystem.
Habitat Protection
Land acquisitions by the Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom
County Parks and Recreation, Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife, Seattle City Light, and The Nature
Conservancy protected and/or will restore important
habitat in key areas throughout the watershed. A prime
example is along the South Fork where a corridor nearly
20 miles long is either in or soon to be in a conservation
status under a number of landowners. This will provide
great certainty into the future that the South Fork
will provide high quality functioning habitats into
the future not only for fish, but for wildlife too. |
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Organizations Involved
- Whatcom County
- City of Bellingham
- Public Utility District No. 1
- Lummi Nation
- Nooksack Tribe
- Small cities of Whatcom County (Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Everson,
Nooksack, Sumas)
- Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
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