~East Fork Nookachamps Project~
East
Fork Nookachamps Project
Project Partners: Natural Resource Conservation Service-Wetlands Reserve
Program, Salmon Recovery Funding Board
Costs: $100,000
Project Dates: Instream Construction Sept 2002, Revegetation Nov 2002 and continuing
Project Summary: The Verdoes Reach at the old Verdoes Dairy on the East Fork Nookachamps Creek is tributary to the Skagit River near Mount Vernon and supports six species of salmonids: chinook, coho, chum, pink, steelhead, and cutthroat. The 33 acre site is now permanently protected under a Wetland Reserve Program conservation easement. The channel was ditched in the late 1950s, leaving a straightened channel with homogenous habitat with limited cover, meandering, pool development and gravel sorting. SFEG received SRFB funding to add wood structures to enhance rearing habitat and to restore the riparian zone. SFEG's restoration crew installed six large woody debris clusters in the Nookachamps Creek in September 2002. The instream structures have already begun to function to improve habitat. Pools appear to be developing near some of the structures and the turbulence around other structure function to sort fine sand from coarser grave, thereby enhancing spawning habitat. Other project elements included removing 500 cubic yard of fill from the site, installing several perch poles for raptors, and stripping reed canary grass sod from lower portions of the field. Volunteer community members have helped to plant over 3,000 native trees and shrubs at the site. A very diverse group of volunteers helped to revegetate the wetland site from: Cascade Job Corps, Everett Community College, Skagit Valley Community College, American Cultural Exchange and many more.
10/30/04
Planting Party:
Thanks to our volunteers, 325 native plants were planted
at the East Fork Nookachamps site
