The NP Creek project (off Highway 9 near Wickersham) entails removing an existing bridge barrier to fish migration and replacing the driveway crossing with a pre-engineered bridge. Due to a steep stream gradient, SFEG will have to construct several rock weirs to step-up the grade. NP creek supports a large run of coho salmon. In recent years, SFEG has observed salmon stacked below the bridge barrier, which forms about a two-foot drop that all but the largest fish fail to navigate. Above the barrier are 1.5 miles of high quality stream habitat on three tributaries for spawning and rearing. Project designs are complete pending any final comments. Permitting has nearly been completed, and the project is being reviewed for Endangered Species Act compliance. Funded in part by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, SFEG is seeking additional funding from the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Across the basin from NP Creek is Ennis Creek, which is also a very productive coho spawning habitat in the upper Samish River basin. For nearly 25 years Ennis Creek has been directed down a roadside ditch along Innis Creek Road before flowing through an undersized submerged culvert into the Samish River. SFEG is working with Whatcom County Public Works and Whatcom Land Trust to re-route Ennis Creek back into its historic channel. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have funded this project.

Closer to the Skagit River, Childs Creek drains from Lyman Hill and eventually into Minkler Lake, where it exits the southeast corner of the lake and flows toward Utopia Slough on the Skagit River.
This habitat enhancement project involves placing large woody debris in the stream channel to promote gravel bed scour and pool development in order to provide additional summer rearing habitat for coho salmon and cutthroat trout, and enhance the quality of spawning habitat by loosening and sorting gravel. This project is funded by the FishAmerica Foundation, the Mountaineers Foundation and the Trout and Salmon Foundation.

The Berry Patch project in Darrington is located in SFEG's Sauk River Floodplain Focal Area. This project funded by LIP involves removal of an old farm crossing on a lowland tributary to the Sauk River. The crossing will not be replaced, and the channel will be restored to its natural grade. The stream has clear spring waters and supports chum salmon. The Berry's have also enrolled portions of their land into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program through the Skagit Conservation District, which prepared site plans.

The Day Creek Slough passage project involves removing a fish passage and floodplain barrier and replacing it with new driveway crossing. The passage barrier is located in a side channel that connects Day Creek Slough to the Skagit River. The properties are privately owned and used seasonally for recreational purposes. The Skagit Land Trust owns one of the properties and has designated it for permanent conservation. Another project LIP funded by LIP, Day Creek Slough is situated in SFEG's South Skagit Tributaries Focal Area. The crossing currently is comprised of imported pieces of broken concrete slab on top of two undersized culverts that are blocked with sediment and debris, which forms a partial barrier to fish passage. The initial design calls for the use of a recycled rail car bridge. The bridge will be anchored and designed to be seasonally flooded and to allow for the passage of large woody debris. The Day Creek Slough system contain Chinook, coho, chum, and pink salmon, native char, steelhead, sea-run cutthroat and resident trout.

Future projects that have been funded by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board in partnership with Seattle City Light are in the planning stages. They include the Anderson Creek project near the Van Der Saar Dairy and the Skagit River Hoy property west of O'Toole Creek. The Anderson Creek project will involve riparian and channel restoration. The Hoy project involves relocating a cattle fence and revegetating the floodplain along two miles of the Skagit River.

As we prepare for the summer in-stream season, develop new projects, write grants, report to our members, and keep a step ahead of the restoration field staff, I take comfort in the knowledge that SFEG is going to move forward with direction established through our Focal Area Assessment. This report identifies five primary areas for near term focus. Related to the Focal Assessment is the update of our Strategic Plan, which will incorporate Focal Areas into our restoration strategy. In the next several years, SFEG will take a premeditated approach toward working in areas identified as having high productivity for salmon.