Project location: Middle Fork Nooksack River in the Welcome Reach (RM 2 to 3.3)

This project has two phases: Phase 1, Chuckanut Reach and Phase 2, Side Channel Reach. The first phase, Chuckanut reach will construct 5 engineered logjams (ELJs) to restore salmon habitat in WRIA 1. These ELJs will help to direct some flow into the west and central channel and away from the east channel. Endangered early spring Chinook salmon and bulltrout will benefit from 5 new scour pools; more pools may develop indirectly as increased roughness causes dynamic equilibrium. Scour pools provide thermal refugia (holding pools) from elevated Middle Fork water temperatures during summer spawning months in addition to pools for juvenile overwintering (rearing pools).

The overall project, with Phase 2 will develop or replenish mid-channel islands and off-channel habitat. Islands anchored by ELJs will create a system of stabilized anabranching channels. Increased stability from logjams will alleviate energy on mainstem bedforms, reducing redd scour. ELJs will be planted with native species while accumulating sediment and transient instream wood. Stable islands will result. A side channel in the downstream segment of the reach (~RM 2.0 to 2.4) be seeded with key pieces of wood for habitat improvement and avulsion risk reduction. Slow water (e.g., residual pools) and edge habitat will significantly increase. Shading and greater hyporheic connectivity will reduce ambient water temperatures.