SFEG Fish Passage Barrier Evaluation Project

By Reid Armstrong

It is late December as I watch a reddish green coho repeatedly make a two foot leap into a rushing perched culvert on a small tributary to the Skagit river.  Each time he is washed out, defeated.  He and the five others waiting in the pool below the culvert will have to spawn elsewhere.  All over the Skagit the same scenario is repeated on many other tributaries, as a result the health of salmon runs suffers.

Reid Armstrong and Joel Breems conducted the barrier surveys for SFEG.

A key to restoring salmon runs to the Skagit watershed is to increase native habitat.  Over the years miles of habitat have become obstructed by human made barriers.  These prevent adult and juvenile salmon from reaching spawning and rearing habitat that is crucial to complete their life-cycle.  To address this issue SFEG and our partner organizations have been identifying and assessing habitat above these barriers to determine which ones are best suited for removal or repair.

Kevik Rensink and Danny Cain rest near a natural barrier to salmon migration.

Beginning May 2005 a large scale barrier evaluation project was started in the Skagit watershed to evaluate 56 potential barriers.  The partners involved in the project included the Skagit Watershed Council, Earthwatch Institute, Skagit River System Cooperative, Upper Skagit Tribe, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Washington Conservation Corps.  The data collection was undertaken by SFEG, Earthwatch Institute, and Skagit River System Cooperative.  In total 79.53 miles of stream above potential human made barriers was assessed.  

Joel Breems demonstrates the scale of a man made barrier, a culvert which does not facilitate fish passage.

Habitat evaluation consisted of surveying a stream from the potential human made barrier upstream to the natural barrier.  During the survey a number of habitat parameters were collected. This data were then analyzed in order to create a ranked list to help prioritize which barriers to fix first.

The information gathered will be invaluable when selecting future projects to complete.  By knowing which barriers are blocking the highest quality salmon habitat, SFEG and our partner organizations will be able to allocate resources in the most efficient manner.  In the end, we will be able to increase native habitat and help salmon return from their diminished numbers.