DESCRIPTION
The goal of this project is to restore connectivity of the Beckler River to its alluvial fan at the confluence of the South Fork Skykomish. The project will achieve this through the construction of ELJ structures in the main channel of the Beckler River and the excavation of disconnected alluvial fan channels.
Wild Fish Conservancy will complete permitting and final designs, prepare an adaptive management plan, and construct a salmon habitat restoration project to restore connectivity of the Beckler River to its floodplain and alluvial fan at the confluence of the South Fork Skykomish in the Mt Baker National Forest. The project designs (developed with funds from SRFB 16-1719) include construction of six large engineered log jam structures in the main channel of the Beckler River and excavation of disconnected alluvial fan channels. Design deliverables will meet Manual 18 Appendix D-3 standards.This project will increase the quantity and quality of juvenile rearing habitat for Chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon in the lower Beckler River and the SF Skykomish. The lack of LWD in the alluvial fan of the Beckler has resulted in channel incision, a disconnected floodplain and alluvial fan, poor sediment sorting, and low habitat complexity. This structural deficiency results in poor rearing habitat conditions for juvenile salmonids, which prefer complex habitats with diverse flow velocities adjacent to cover such as woody debris or well sorted gravels.