DESCRIPTION
From 2021-2024, the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) conducted maintenance on previously completed riparian restoration projects at the Utopia, Edgewater Park, Lower Day Slough, and Pressentin Park sites. All four of these sites are within the Tier 1 target area and are identified as "Mixed Stock - Large River Floodplain" habitat in the Skagit Watershed Council's 2022 Strategic Approach. All four sites are located within the floodplain of the Skagit River, and this provide habitat benefits to Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed Chinook salmon and steelhead.
The goal of the project was to control persistent populations of invasive species to support the establishment of recently completed riparian plantings. At these four sites, invasive species controlled include Himalayan blackberry, Japanese knotweed, Canada thistle, and reed canary grass. In addition, SFEG staff and AmeriCorps members planted additional native trees and shrubs at the Utopia, Lower Day Slough, and Pressentin Park sites. At Utopia, SFEG engaged volunteers, the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and EarthCorps crews to control invasive vegetation on approximately 12 acres of riparian floodplain habitat. SFEG also led a volunteer work party at Utopia for Earth Day 2023 where volunteers planted 650 plants. At Edgewater Park, SFEG staff and AmeriCorps crews controlled invasive vegetation over 24 acres, including areas that will be planted by volunteers during an Earth Day work party planned for 2025. At Lower Day Slough, SFEG controlled approximately 4 acres of invasive vegetation and installed 400 native trees and shrubs in areas where . At Pressentin Park, SFEG treated invasive vegetation on approximately 7 acres of riparian floodplain habitat and led students in service-learning projects where 550 native trees and shrubs were installed by local school groups in areas where survival of the initial planting was poor. Through this project SFEG treated approximately 1.3 miles of stream and stewarded approximately 47 acres of riparian habitat along the Skagit River and its tributaries combined between these four worksites.
Based on the milestones submitted for this project, the initial project completion date was December 2025. SFEG accomplished the objectives ahead of schedule and within the estimated budget by leveraging AmeriCorps cost share crews and volunteers to complete meaningful stewardship projects at these previously completed riparian restoration sites.