DESCRIPTION
Wiseman Creek flows from the slopes on the northern side of the Skagit River Valley across the floodplain to its confluence with the Skagit River between the towns of Sedro-Woolley and Hamilton, Washington. Coho salmon have historically used this area for spawning and rearing, though fish returns have steadily decreased during the last decade. Various activities on the landscape have significantly modified the watershed including construction of infrastructure, logging, agriculture, surface water management, and sediment management. These modifications, combined with natural processes, have limited fish passage, reduced the amount of salmon habitat, and impaired the use of available habitat for salmon. In addition to ecological impacts, watershed changes affected the delivery of sediment to the lower watershed, damaging private property and requiring repeated costly repair and maintenance at the Minkler Road and Cascade Trail crossings.
This project was original awarded to Skagit County, then SFEG took over the project when the County was unable to complete it. Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) conducted a feasibility study on Wiseman Creek and the associated wetlands. The purpose of the Wiseman Creek Feasibility Study was to determine potential alternatives for reducing sediment load in Wiseman Creek and increasing fish habitat in the entire watershed. Skagit County partnered with the SFEG and the Skagit River Systems Cooperative (SRSC) to complete the study.
The feasibility study has included a field assessment, habitat survey, aerial survey, characterization and mapping of recent changes in channel morphology, hydraulic modeling, and sediment transport analysis of Wiseman Creek. SFEG convened a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) consisting of local and state agencies, local tribes, and landowners. The TAG collected and reviewed background information and developed a range of restoration alternatives and evaluation criteria using the objectives of the study. An alternative analysis, including at least three alternatives with a preferred alternative, was developed based on the findings.