DESCRIPTION
Skagit Watershed Riparian Planting Project Description The Skagit Watershed Riparian Planting Project is a partnership between Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) and Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC), along with multiple landowners in the Skagit River basin. The purpose of this project is to restore habitat and water quality for Chinook salmon and other species by actively restoring native riparian and floodplain forest vegetation on a number of sites throughout the Skagit River watershed (see attached map). Sites were identified based on the following criteria: 1) Located in floodplain areas adjacent to mainstem, side channel, or off-channel habitats that are likely to be used by Chinook salmon as identified in the SWC 2015 Strategic Approach. 2) Currently have limited or impaired native vegetation conditions, and may contain invasive species 3) Located on public or conservation property Property owners for currently identified project sites include Seattle City Light (SCL), Skagit Land Trust (SLT), Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (SITC), North Cascades Institute (NCI), and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), although additional sites and property owners that meet the criteria above may be included in the project if suitable sites are identified.
Over the last five years, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) planted and maintained 23.7 acres along 0.95 miles of riverfront. At Dalles Bridge, SFEG planted 5.4 acres of field in the floodplain of the Skagit River. Further upriver, at Diobsud Mouth, SFEG planted 9.3 acres of field and understory in the floodplain of the Skagit River. SFEG focused on planting the fields and slope next to Wiseman Creek at the Utopia worksite, building on previous plantings to add 9 acres of new plantings to the site. SFEG chose not to install cattle fencing along Wiseman Creek, as land use changed over the course of the grant and cattle are no longer grazed in the field. All three sites are managed by conservation landowners and open to the public, so our work will improve recreational opportunities over time. Priority species supported by our riparian floodplain restoration planting includes ESA listed Chinook and steelhead in addition to chum, sockeye, coho, and pink salmon.
