DESCRIPTION
Snohomish Conservation District partnered with US Forest Service on this project to reduce risk of road failure, erosion, and sediment production and its negative effects on fish habitat in the North Fork Stillaguamish watershed. The project reduced impacts directly to Segelsen Creek, Cascade Creek, and south branch of the North Fork Stillaguamish and indirectly to the North Fork Stillaguamish.
This project consisted of 175 culvert replacements, ditching, and fill stabilization, and it addressed 12.3 miles of road, focusing on treatment of high-risk drainage deficiencies. Expected results included water quality improvements, reduction in the risk of landslides/sediment delivery, reduction of road-associated failures and other sedimentation. This project targeted the limiting factor of sedimentation and its effects on egg to fry survival for Chinook, coho, steelhead and Dolly Varden.
The Stillaguamish Lead Entity Strategy (2004) identifies forest roads that are underlain by unstable geology and on greater than 30% slopes as presenting increased risk of sediment routing to streams and rivers. Sediment transported from upland areas and from within the channel determines the nature and quality of salmonid habitat in streams and rivers. Quality and stability of Chinook salmon spawning habitat are key factors affecting Chinook production