Marblegate Slough Fish Passage Improvement
Marblegate Slough stems from a Skagit River side channel that is located just downstream of the Cascade River across from the town of Marblemount. A gravel road crossing consisting of failing culverts isolated the upper and lower segments of the slough. SFEG replaced these undersized and failing culverts with a bridge to re-establish the floodplain process and reconnect key isolated slough habitat for coho, chum and chinook salmon. The crossing provides access to a common area and river trails for members of the Marblegate Community Association. The slough provides high quality off-channel rearing habitat for coho salmon as well as off-channel spawning habitat for coho and chum salmon. Chinook salmon will also utilize the slough. SFEG worked with the landowners of the Marblegate Community Association to develop this restoration project. Off-channel habitat provides important refugia for juvenile salmon as well as spawning habitat for some salmon species. Much of the off-channel habitat in the Skagit River basin has been lost, thus the reconnection of this type of habitat is key to local salmon recovery efforts. The improved crossing will help to restore the floodplain process and will reconnect extensive high quality forested off-channel slough habitat for several Skagit River salmon species. This project was completed in September 2003 in partnership with Salmon Recovery Funding Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Marblegate Community Association and has an expected total cost of $56,000, with $28,000 spent to date.

"The Marblegate Slough project is a classic example of a win-win project for nature and for man. Salmon get access to the slough and people get recreational access to the river. It goes a step further than preserving land for the sake of itself by providing a human connection."
                                                                        --Tom Harville, Marblegate Community Association

Shoeshel Drive Fish Passage Improvement
Shoeshel Drive crosses a tributary to Brickyard Creek just outside Sedro Woolley. Prior to this restoration project, Shoeshel Drive consisted of a gravel road with deep fill over a 30- inch diameter concrete culvert that formed a fish passage barrier. The culvert was perched above the streambed and created a velocity barrier to migrating salmon. The culvert was also deteriorating beneath the large amount of fill. The culvert barrier was replaced with a 12-foot diameter aluminum structural plate culvert. The purpose of this project is to provide fish passage for coho salmon and cutthroat trout through the Shoeshel Drive blockage in order to access a half-mile of habitat leading to Bottomless Lake. The restoration project also will improve passage of flood flows, natural bed load, and floating wood at the project location. Constructing the new culvert consisted of SFEG's restoration crew putting 140 aluminum plates together with 2,400 nuts and bolts while working in a deep trench. This large and unique construction project was unlike any culvert project we had done previously, and we were very impressed with our crew's ability to rise to the challenge. Volunteers planted the site with native vegetation following the culvert replacement. Approximately 230 native trees and shrubs were installed. The landowners are committed and have been trained to conduct spawner surveys to count salmon making their way through the culvert during the winter. A partnership with the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the local landowners made this project a success. The total cost of this project is expected to be $124,000.

"The replaced pipe looks great. SFEG's volunteers and staff did a wonderful job with the plantings and fencing. They are a very professional organization. My father would have been very proud to see this project completed. I am ready to be a volunteer for life!" ---Landowner Jolene Sloniker

Lake Creek Fish Passage Improvement
Lake Creek is a tributary stream connecting Lake McMurray to Big Lake. The restoration project consisted of two fish passage improvement projects on Lake Creek tributaries in the West Fork Nookachamps Creek system. Phase 1, completed in 2001, involved replacing an 8-inch culvert on a wetland tributary south of McMurray Shores Drive. The old culvert was 40 feet long, and the new culvert is 20 feet long. The project provides access to approximately 7,500 square meters of off-channel habitat for rearing juvenile coho salmon. Phase 2, completed in 2003, involved removing a partial culvert barrier and replacing it with a pedestrian bridge. Prior to the project a 3-foot diameter concrete pipe was partially submerged and formed a velocity barrier to migrating salmon, and was often clogged with debris. The culvert was removed and replaced with a 27-foot long pedestrian bridge. The new bridge allows for a much more natural stream channel and thus greatly improved fish passage. The project provides access to approximately 1,200 square meters of upper watershed spawning habitat for coho salmon. Done in cooperation with Salmon Recovery Funding Board and local landowners, the two project phases cost $19,000.