The West Fork of Woods Creek and Cherry Creek are large rural tributaries to the Skykomish River and Snoqualmie River, respectively. These creeks contain or have the potential to support moderate levels of Chinook spawning and are also important for coho spawning and rearing. There is presumed foraging and overwintering habitat for bull trout as well. Habitat problems include decreased fish passage due to human-made barriers such as culverts (dozens of known culverts currently block coho migration in Woods Creek - West Fork) and pump stations; increased bank erosion and deposition of fine sediments in spawning gravel (Woods Creek - West Fork only); degraded water quality due to high temperature and fecal coliform counts that violate State of Washington water quality standards; immature or no riparian vegetation along agricultural lands; lack of large woody debris; loss of wetlands; and loss of floodplain connectivity due to dikes (Cherry Creek only) (Snohomish Basin Salmonid Recovery Technical Committee, 2002; Haring, 2002).

Although not as critical as in the mainstem - primary restoration and estuary strategy groups, restoring riparian forests, addressing sediment problems, correcting fish passage barriers, restricting livestock access to streams, reconnecting isolated habitats, and restoring habitat complexity within this group will be important for Chinook population viability. Maintaining and restoring habitat within these areas will be particularly important for spatial structure and diversity. Actions in this sub-basin strategy group provide direct and downstream benefits to all salmonid species.