River projects making progress

By Christopher Schwarzen
Times Snohomish County Bureau

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Two forthcoming projects on the Stillaguamish River are part of an aggressive 10-year plan to combat the loss of chinook salmon.

Since the listing of the chinook on the endangered-species list in 1999, tribal leaders, governments, loggers and farmers have sought to make a concerted effort to protect a river that chinook once frequented.

Current populations are about 8 percent of historical levels.

The repair of a landslide area that chokes an upstream portion of the Stillaguamish with sediment and the removal of dikes that prevent access to the river's estuary top a list of projects that are part of a $42 million chinook-recovery plan.

The plan, still in draft form, is expected to be approved by state officials next spring.

Other river projects will focus on improvement of water flows necessary for salmon growth, the reconnection of the river to closed-off side channels, the growth of shoreline tree buffers that provide shade and the addition of woody debris, where young salmon can hide during threatening river conditions.

For more than five years, community partners have met to hash out a plan for species recovery in the Stillaguamish — a must under the federal protection listing. Though smaller projects along the river's path have been incorporated into the plan, the landslide repair and estuary improvement are the first major initiatives requiring significant funding and community commitment, leaders say.

Much of the money likely will come from the state and federal governments, but most of the work will be done by local entities — and on a volunteer basis, said Gene Williams, a member of the Snohomish County Surface Water Management Division.

"We are implementing projects already and seeking funding all along the way," Williams said. "[Because of the chinook listing], this watershed already has gotten quite a bit of money, and the assumption is that more money will be coming through the same avenues."

A landslide area at Steelhead Haven on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish fills the water with sediment, which is detrimental to spawning salmon and young fry that inhabit the upstream portion of the river.
 
For $1.6 million, a permanent logjam will be created at the landslide point, which will allow rock and sediment to come down, lean against it and promote vegetation growth atop it. The landslide is a natural occurrence but has been exacerbated since development in the area began in the 1960s. The project will stabilize the landslide's impacts on the river.

The logjam idea has garnered support among all entities, said Bill Blake, Arlington's natural- resources manager, because it does more than improve salmon habitat.

"Farmers in the lower valley want it because they believe the sediment buildup downstream increases flooding," Blake said. "If you improve the landslide area, then the channel won't fill up with sediment."

The project will take two years to complete.

The other major project requires the removal of dikes within the Stillaguamish estuary, the part of the river that meets and mixes with salt water. Increasing chinook access to the estuary allows more juvenile salmon to grow bigger and stronger as they switch from freshwater to saltwater fish.

It's an important phase in a salmon's life, said Pat Stevenson, the environmental manager for the Stillaguamish Tribe. Improving the estuary will give Stillaguamish chinook a boost at ocean survival.

Grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with money from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board, are expected to be the main sources of funding for these projects. The Stillaguamish chinook-recovery plan is one of 15 watershed plans being created within the Puget Sound area. Eventually, all will be connected to show federal officials how the state is dealing with the endangered-species listing.

"Part of our plan for funding is to approach Congress with a 10-year plan," Stevenson said. "We'd like to say, 'Here's our 10-year initiative. You fund the Puget Sound recovery, and we'll be well on our way to restoring fish.' "

A separate plan is being created for the Snohomish River. A number of projects at the river's confluence are part of the overall Snohomish River chinook-recovery plan.

Though initial efforts to draw all affected parties into a working relationship were difficult, Blake said the stakes are too high for each entity not to get along.

"If you're in the middle, you realize that it took 100 years to get to the state we're in now, and it's going to take 100 more to get them restored physically and to where society is willing to change," he said.

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577 or cschwarzen@seattletimes.com