FY 2014 Implementation and Monitoring of Skagit Salmon Recovery Goals: Planning

During the project period Skagit River System Cooperative reviewed 146 development projects in the Skagit River Basin and North Puget Sound marine waters under the permit process of the Army Corps, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, or local governments. Some projects were required to obtain multiple permits. During these reviews SRSC worked with permitting agencies on permit conditions to lessen the impacts of projects on salmon and steelhead habitat as well as appropriate measures to offset project impacts that could not be avoided. SRSC also worked with land owners and consultants on changes in project designs to lessen project impacts. SRSC worked with the Washington Department of Transportation on a major highway protection project that was years in the design process. The project differs substantially from traditional large rip-rap highway protection projects in that it incorporates large amounts of complex wood ballasted with large concrete structures (dolos). The resultant highway protection has a great deal of quiet water spaces with complex wood and provides good rearing habitat for juvenile salmon and steelhead. This project, while expensive, should serve as a model for highway protection projects where fish habitat is a concern and it is not feasible to move the highway away from the river. SRSC also worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify appropriate USACE actions to mitigate for mainstem Skagit levee repairs in response to flood damage during the 2014-15 winter. SRSC had some major concerns over how the USACE applied the HMT (Habitat Mitigation Tool) this year but was able to resolve those concerns through government to government meetings with the USACE and onsite discussions with the USACE and a local Dike District.

This project represents a continuation of efforts from the organization’s prior fiscal year project. There is a slight overlap in project time periods which stems from a transition from the earlier year budget to next subsequent year where a line item was exhausted in the prior year, but the future year had funds to support the line item. All efforts are made to utilize first-in, first out accounting practices, however this is weighed against the administrative effort of processing budget modification requests, particularly when the overlap in project time periods is minimal.

The project will have direct and tangible benefit to salmon and steelhead by averting potential impacts to habitat via design and permit review, examination of flood and other policies, and by requiring appropriate mitigation in cases where impacts are unavoidable. Finally, participation in and providing technical support to local stakeholder groups and Lead Entities will help ensure that goals related to salmon recovery are incorporated into environmental solutions, while project evaluations will provide important information and planning to guide future projects.
This work will improve the prioritization and sequencing of habitat restoration and protection projects at the local watershed (lead entity) and link action done at the local watershed scale to actions done at the Puget Sound ESU.