Skagit Valley Herald

Swinomish Tribe challenges irrigation practices in Skagit delta

The Swinomish Tribe has asked the state Department of Ecology to investigate whether the irrigation practice of collecting water in a check dam violates water rights, and the tribe’s treaty rights, in the Skagit Valley.


The Skagit Valley Herald:

The tribe conducted a survey of irrigation practices in the Skagit delta last year, making observations from public right of ways. The tribe’s unverified conclusion was that almost half of the observed irrigation in the delta in July and August appeared to be taking place without a water-right permit. (more…)

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Upper Skagit Tribe buys waterfront property in La Conner

The Skagit Valley Herald:

The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe recently purchased 6 acres on the La Conner waterfront, including a warehouse and small pier, for $6.8 million.

The land, acquired from La Conner Pier LLC, is directly across the Swinomish Channel from the Swinomish Indian Reservation.

About a half-dozen organizations lease property on the land formerly owned by the Roche Harbor-based limited liability corporation. Among the lessees are the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and two manufacturers, Alpac Components Co. and Comptex Inc. (more…)

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Upper Skagit Tribe teaches children tribal ties to nature

The Skagit Valley Herald covered the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s annual Kids’ Fishing Derby:

Wriggling and splashing, a rainbow trout escaped 3-year-old Ella Simpson’s hook. The half-pint-sized daughter of a fisherman gamely tried again.

With a little adult help, Ella of La Conner caught her first fish from one of the tanks at the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s hatchery.

“It’s a fish,” said Ella, holding up the plastic bag that held her prize.

Her brother Ethan, 5, also caught a trout. A more experienced fisherman, he knew how to tell fishing stories. (more…)

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EPA grants $2 million to tribes for Puget Sound projects

NWIFC Chairman Billy Frank Jr. and Executive Director Mike Grayum discuss the Hansen Creek restoration project with Lauren Rich, environmental planner for the Upper Skagit TribeA number of news outlets reported on this week’s announcement of $2 million in EPA grants to tribes in support of the Puget Sound Partnership.

KING 5 News:

More than a century ago, Native American tribes watched settlers dam, dike and straighten the area’s streams and rivers.

Today the federal EPA gave those same tribes millions of dollars to undo some of those changes.

During a ceremony at a 140-acre site near the Upper Skagit Indian Reservation near Sedro-Woolley, the EPA handed over $2 million to 19 tribes to fund several restoration projects. The money will be used at that site to remove dikes and other obstacles from Hansen Creek, a major tributary of the Skagit River.

(more…)

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Farms and fish can live together

The Skagit Valley Herald editorializes on a plan to streamline permits for tide gate repairs:

The reality is that the tidegates impede salmon trying to navigate the labyrinth of delta sloughs, streamlets and marshes in their way between upriver spawning grounds and the ocean.

Furthermore, large segments of the estuarine habitat that fish need to strengthen themselves before heading out to sea have been diked and drained over the past several decades for farming.

(more…)

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