Habitat Restoration Planning & Assessment

Cherokee Lower Pipe- 2.5 acres This project was funded by RCO Family Forest Fish Passage Program. After a more detailed assessment, this project was funded by RCO Family Forest Fish Passage Program. A fish passage barrier culvert was removed and replaced with a steel bridge.

Buffalo Ranch- 38.5 acres Further assessments revealed that this would be a rather more complicated than the removal of reed canary grass in a 30-acre parcel. There is a major stream bisecting the property that is set to jump its banks and likely re-route itself through the subject property and through some surrounding landowners’ properties as well. Hydrology engineers recommended building a long, low berm or dike to contain the creek in case of an avulsion. Further, they informed us that if we were to use any mechanical means to remove the reed canary grass that in any way modified the ground elevations or compaction (even tire track ruts) that the Tribe could likely be sued by surrounding property owners if or when the stream did avulse. We applied for funding through EQUIP, and were denied as they would not fund any project that involved a dike to protect surrounding property. Minimal work has been done on the property, almost all of it by hand.

Trib 80- 43.5 acres We only approximately knew the location of the fish barrier on Trib 80. We identified the fish barrier and found that it was not a discrete feature such as a waterfall or perched culvert, but was instead a series of relic beaver dams infested with reed canary grass. Fish are prevented from moving upstream where Trib 80 sheetflows through a thick, 40-acre canary grass matt. The ground under this entire area is spongy, and removing the canary grass by mechanical means would be impossible while the ground is so poorly drained. There are three possible solutions: A) do all the work by hand.; B) Create a new defined channel along one edge of the marsh/grass land. ; or C) Use ditching explosives to create a new defined stream channel. Surrounding landowners seemed to be agreeable to any of these.

This project supports the recovery of Chinook salmon populations originating from the Stillaguamish watershed. It also supports efforts to increase production of coho salmon populations originating from the Stillaguamish watershed.