Habitat

Read more about the article Jamestown S’Klallam reconnects creek to strait to save fish
Jamestown S'Klallam tribal staff dig out a channel in a sandbar that is blocking the flow of Seibert Creek to the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to low water flow.

Jamestown S’Klallam reconnects creek to strait to save fish

Jamestown S'Klallam tribal staff dig out a channel in a sandbar that is blocking the flow of Seibert Creek to the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to low water flow.
Jamestown S’Klallam tribal staff dig out a channel in a sandbar that is blocking the flow of Siebert Creek to the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to low water flow.

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is starting to see the effects of this year’s predicted low water flow in the Dungeness River Valley much sooner than anticipated.

Tribal natural resources staff discovered this week that the mouth of Siebert Creek had been cut off by a sandbar – a typical problem with the creek during a low water year.

But this year’s low flows are more severe than usual due to the record-low snowpack in the Olympic Mountains.

“We never consider low flows in the spring because we typically have more water coming down the creeks,” said Chris Burns, Jamestown natural resources technician. “But when McDonald Creek started looking really skinny, I started getting really worried and checked Siebert. (more…)

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Tribes study chinook use of small coastal streams

Hibulb
Todd Zackey electrofishes Hibulb Creek to determine whether there are juvenile chinook using the small coastal stream.

The Tulalip Tribes and Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) recently completed a six-year study of juvenile chinook salmon use of small coastal streams in the Whidbey basin.

“Small coastal streams are often overlooked as potential salmon habitat because many flow seasonally and do not provide spawning habitat,” said Todd Zackey, the marine and nearshore program manager for Tulalip who obtained grant funding for the research. Derek Marks, Timber/Fish/Wildlife manager for Tulalip, was an additional principal investigator on the research.

The researchers electrofished 63 streams in the Whidbey basin and found juvenile chinook using more than half of them. The migrant fry originated from the three nearby rivers: Skagit, Snohomish and Stillaguamish.

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Forage Fish Important to Salmon Diet

Point No Point Treaty Council biologists are counting forage fish eggs so they can get a better idea of what fish is available for salmon.
Point No Point Treaty Council biologists are counting forage fish eggs so they can get a better idea of what food is available for salmon.

Shannon Miller and John Hagan keep a close eye on the phases of the moon so they can determine the best time of the month to collect samples of pinhead-sized translucent forage fish eggs.

“We found that the moon phases may be a potential spawning cue,” Miller said. “There are more eggs around the new moon and full moon phases during the fall and winter months, so we schedule our surveys around that and the tides. That makes for an interesting work schedule.”

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Sauk-Suiattle Tribe battles invasive knotweed

Sauk-Mtn-Sauk-River-knotweed-credit-AndrewThe Sauk-Suiattle Tribe is determined to eradicate invasive knotweed in its watershed.

Knotweed is such a fast-growing invasive species, and some infestations so extensive that all natural resources managers can do is control the spread. The plants can grow 15 feet tall and crowd out native vegetation needed for quality fish and wildlife habitat.

“During the fall, knotweed plants transfer significantly more nutrients from the leaves to the roots than do native riparian plants. When they drop their leaves, fewer nutrients are available for bacteria, insects, and fish,” said Andrew McDonnell, Sauk-Suiattle natural resources field coordinator. “Knotweed has no value for wildlife and is detrimental to salmon.” (more…)

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Stillaguamish Tribe testing how mushrooms improve water quality

The Stillaguamish Tribe is testing ways to use mushroom spawn to improve water quality in agricultural areas.

The process, called mycoremediation, allows contaminated water to filter through the fungus’ fibrous roots, which helps reduce fecal contaminants.

“Mycoremediation could help improve surface water management on farms by getting rid of fecal coliform without having to excavate or give up farming,” said Kate Konoski, the natural resources technician for the tribe who is conducting the study. “It’s low-impact, low-cost remediation.”

The lower Stillaguamish River watershed is dominated by agriculturally zoned land. Pollutants from farms include excess nutrients, fecal matter and pesticide contaminated runoff. Excess nutrient and fecal loads can reduce available oxygen, while metals and emerging contaminants can negatively affect salmon spawning. (more…)

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