DESCRIPTION
The Nooksack Tribe will restore instream habitat in the South Fork Nooksack River, RM 11.1-11.4, near Acme in Whatcom County, to address South Fork (SF) Nooksack chinook limiting factors of lack of key habitat, low habitat diversity, and high temperatures. Specifically, this project will construct 5 log jams in a 0.3-mile river segment, as part of the second of three phases of restoration in the broader Nesset reach (10.3-12). Log jams are designed to: (1) increase number and depth of pools; (2) increase habitat unit diversity and quantity of complex woody cover in the low-flow channel; and (3) increase availability of temperature refuges. Other species benefitting are ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout; coho, chum, riverine sockeye, and pink salmon; and cutthroat trout. SF Nooksack early Chinook are essential for ESU recovery, but abundances are critically low. This project implements high priority actions in a high priority reach for SF Nooksack early chinook. The adjacent landownership, Whatcom Land Trust and Whatcom County Parks, through the reach presents a unique opportunity to restore habitat and habitat-forming processes in a relatively unconfined reach in the lower South Fork. The reach is also expected to be heavily used by Chinook returning to the Skookum hatchery (two miles upstream) as part of the South Fork Nooksack Chinook population-rebuilding program. Restoration will also benefit ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout; coho, chum, riverine sockeye, and pink sa
The Nooksack Tribe restored instream habitat in the South Fork Nooksack River, RM 11.1-11.4, near Acme in Whatcom County, to address South Fork (SF) Nooksack chinook limiting factors of lack of key habitat, low habitat diversity, and high temperatures. Specifically, this project constructed 5 log jams in a 0.3-mile river segment, as part of the second of three phases of restoration in the broader Nesset reach (10.3-12). Log jams were designed to: (1) increase number and depth of pools; (2) increase habitat unit diversity and quantity of complex woody cover in the low-flow channel; and (3) increase availability of temperature refuges. Other species benefitting are ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout; coho, chum, riverine sockeye, and pink salmon; and cutthroat trout. SF Nooksack early Chinook are essential for ESU recovery, but abundances are critically low. This project implemented high priority actions in a high priority reach for SF Nooksack early chinook. The adjacent landownership, Whatcom Land Trust and Whatcom County Parks, through the reach presented a unique opportunity to restore habitat and habitat-forming processes in a relatively unconfined reach in the lower South Fork. The reach was also expected to be heavily used by Chinook returning to the Skookum hatchery (two miles upstream) as part of the South Fork Nooksack Chinook population-rebuilding program. Restoration also benefits ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout; coho, chum, riverine sockeye, and pink salmon; and cutthroat trout.
NOTE: A total of 0.4 miles of stream was treated with instream habitat restoration, 5 structures were placed, and 4 pools formed. NWIFC PCSRF FY15 funding provided 12.4% of the funding, but reported 0.24 miles, 4 pools, and 4 structures placed. Since the source of funding for the SRFB grant is PSAR, double reporting to the PCSRF database is not an issue, and we have reported the full metrics under this project.