Tulalip Riparian Restoration Project -2011

The purpose of this project was to enhance degraded riparian and wetland areas adjacent to stream and shorelines. Originally three riparian and wetland riparian planting projects were to be conducted within the Tulalip Reservation, Coho Creek a small tributary to Quilceda Creek (one acre of riparian habitat); two shoreline sites within Tulalip Bay (1.5 acres combined riparian and wetland area); and a third shoreline site at Priest Point (0.5 acre riparian site). However the project was modified to do to restore 250 linear feet of a highly productive Chinook rearing stream, Greenwood Creek. The project increased accessible stream habitat to chinook, coho and other fish species by approximately 1/2 mile by replacing an undersized 4-foot diameter culvert, removed approximately 4,900-sq ft. of non-native plant species from the stream bank and replaced them with 4,900-sq ft. of native vegetation, supplemented an additional 9,000 sq ft. of riparian area with native tree planting, increased the amount of in-stream LWD by approximately 90% with the installation of habitat features, and increased pool area by a minimum of 30% through channel realignment and habitat feature installation.
The Greenwood Creek restoration project utilized all of the funds allocated for the original four riparian/wetland planting projects. This was due to the construction costs associated with the design and replacement of an undersized culvert and restoration of the stream channel. Despite the reduction in number of projects and riparian planting area the project has a more direct and beneficial impact for Chinook salmon. Four years of fish sampling, prior to restoration, have identified the stream as important juvenile Chinook salmon rearing habitat with as many as 277 juvenile Chinook caught within the project area and with up to a percentage of the Chinook residing in the stream for an average of 30 days.
Continued sampling of fish (utilizing other funding) in the creek is planned for 2014 and will likely continue for several year more to assess project effectiveness.

The goal of this project is to enhance or restore stream, wetland, and riparian habitats damaged by these past land-use actions. This project targets the restoration and enhancement of habitats needed for the recovery of salmon as described in the Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Limiting Factors Water Resources Inventory – WRIA 7 (Washington State Conservation Commission 2002) and the Puget Sound Action Agenda (Puget Sound Partnership 2009). The Pacific Salmon Treaty also recognizes habitat restoration for its role towards rebuilding native stocks. This project is expected to benefit salmonids by improving riparian functions along stream segments and shorelines occupied by the listed or target species.