Department of Ecology Funds Nookachamps Creek Projects
By Alison Studley

Nookachamps Creek is the first large, important salmon-producing tributary of the lower Skagit River. It contains all five species of salmon as well as cutthroat and steelhead trout. Its lowland areas are home to the largest concentration of Trumpeter Swans in the United States, and its wetland areas provide major flood protection to communitities downstream along the Skagit River (Mount Vernon and Burlington). However, much of the watershed is plagued with water quality problems primarily due to high water temperature. Removal of streamside (riparian) vegetation along Nookachamps Creek and its tributaries has been identified as the primary cause for elevated water temperature. Salmon are dependent on cool, clean, clear, and consistent water. Summer water temperatures are considered "good" for salmon when below 57 degrees Fahrenheit and "poor" for salmon when warmer than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Abnormally high summer water temperatures have been recorded in the Nookachamps (above 75 F), which can be lethal for juvenile salmonids.

Nookachamps Stream Stewards started their watershed tour with a stop at
Lake McMurray, the southern boundary of the watershed.

The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group received a grant in January 2005 through the Centennial Clean Water Fund administered by the Department of Ecology to implement restoration projects that help reduce water temperature and improve salmon habitat. SFEG is thrilled to have this funding opportunity as it allows us to integrate our restoration, education and monitoring programs all in one important watershed.

The first restoration project being implemented is in cooperation with the DeVries Dairy. SFEG is very excited about this opportunity to partner with the DeVries family, a major landowner in the lower Nookachamps Watershed. The DeVries have been working with the Skagit Conservation District for a number of years to ensure that best management practices are implemented throughout their dairy operation. This restoration project is located on land that DeVries recently acquired through a parntership with the Skagit Land Trust, resulting in 88 acres of agricultural land becoming permanently protected through the Skagit Farmland Legacy Program. The property is located along the lower mainstem of Nookachamps Creek and was completely devoid of vegetation other than grass. DeVries built a fence to keep their cows 180 feet back from the creek and the riparian area between the fence and the creek is in a permanent conservation easement.

Part of this project was the March 5 volunteer tree planting at the DeVries dairy
property along Nookachamps Creek.

With the help of numerous volunteers, our professional restoration crew and a volunteer tractor driver, over 1,300 feet of Nookachamps Creek was planted with a wide variety of native trees and shrubs this March. Over 650 native plants were installed on less than 6 acres. This planting is the first phase of a three year plan to reestablish native vegetation throughout this riparian area. Later phases will include planting more shade tolerant species (such as western red cedar) once the newly planted vegetation has a chance to grow and provide some shade to the site. While this project alone will not decrease water temperature in Nookachamps Creek to an acceptable level, it is the first of many revegetation projects we expect to implement over the next three years. Establishing native vegetation along Nookachamps Creek and its tributaries will provide much-needed shade, bank protection, leaf litter and eventually large woody debris, to enhance habitat for salmon and other local wildlife dependent on riparian areas.

Stream Stewards Season Kicks off in the Nookachamps Watershed
By Laura Clemmer

In conjunction with riparian restoration activities, SFEG has begun an intensive community education program in the Nookachamps Watershed. A 9-month Stream Stewards program will teach local landowners about what they can do to protect water quality and engage them in activities to improve the health of the Nookachamps Watershed. The goal is to have Stream Stewards make changes in their daily lives that improve the health of local streams and share their new knowledge with friends and neighbors to create a network of community members actively engaged in the long term stewardship of the Nookachamps Watershed.

It's really incredible to see what can happen when people living in an area meet with a sincere desire to learn more about the place they call home. They connect not only with their environment, but also with each other. That sense of community starts to really solidify when people look beyond what is good for them, to what is good for every living thing around them, whether it's salmon or plants or other people. The primary goal of the Stream Stewards program is to create that sense of ownership. The Nookachamps Stream Stewards group had its first meeting in February, and is already off to a great start. We currently have a great group of about twenty active members, from a variety of places and backgrounds. We hold meetings one Thursday evening a month, and have related field trips the following Saturday. Thus far we have had a basic introductory meeting, a presentation by SFEG Executive Director Alison Studley about the Nookachamps watershed, and a watershed tour. The tour covered the Nookachamps watershed from its headwaters in the Cascade foothills to the outlet at the Skagit River. We saw natural, degraded, and restored stream systems, and the variety of topographies and land uses that exist throughout the watershed. Kurt Buchanan, Fisheries Biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and our own esteemed director, Alison, acted as tour guides, and filled the group in on the natural and cultural history of the area. Stream Stewards also got to visit several habitat restoration sites, including those at the Lake Creek tributaries, Klahowya Creek, East Fork Nookachamps Creek, and the main stem of Nookachamps Creek. We look forward to the coming months with the Stream Stewards, in which they will learn about salmon, riparian areas, water quality, hydrology and stream processes, macroinvertebrates, land use management, and further restoration opportunities. If you would like more information about the Stream Stewards program, please contact our office at 360-336-0172.