North Fork Stillaguamish River ELJ's FYs 2014 and 2015

This project was funded using NWIFC PCSR funding from the Stillaguamish Tribes FY 14 and FY 15 subawards with respective amounts of $55,785 and $50,000. This funding along with RCO funds from project #13-1044 ($600K) provided funding to install 7 log jams in the North Fork Stillaguamish in calendar years 2015-2017. Since the NWIFC funding component will be contributing 15% of the total project funding, the treatment metrics will represent this proportion and the balance will be reported by RCO.

Note: Initially NWIFC reporting was captured in two separate PCSRF portal projects. This project now includes contributions from both FYs (14 & 15) to streamline reporting.

This project was completed on June 30th 2017. During the period of reporting PCSRF funds were used to install one main-stem engineered log jam (ELJ) in the North Fork Stillaguamish. Miles of stream treated using PCSRF funds = .11, acres treated= .2, stream width impacted= 25yds. For the total project including $600,000 from the State SRFB and $105,785 from PCSRF we constructed 7 main-stem ELJs, 2 side-channel jams and several wood complexes.

Numerous studies have been published supporting the importance of complex wood jams in shaping channel morphology, (Collins, Montgomery 2001), providing habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids, (Pess et al 2002, Senter & Pasternack 2010, Pess et al 2011). These studies showed a dramatic relationship between spawning and proximity to wood structures and pools. In 1995 and 1996 data showed 70% of redds were within 50 meters of a pool. Based on habitat and redd surveys 80% of spawning occurred in less than half the spawnable habitat. Recent research has also shown a significant increase in primary productivity associated with complex wood structures as they concentrate nutrients providing food for grazing and predatory invertebrates.