VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2015
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SKAGIT FISHERIES ENHANCEMENT GROUP Dedicated to Restoring Wild Salmon for Future Generations Back to Basics By SUE MADSEN
When the Skagit Fisheries Fakkema to run the excavator, and needed. Because of the dedication of Enhancement Group was formed more remove/recycle the old culvert. The Skagit these volunteers, funding requirements than 20 years ago, salmon restoration was Land Trust hired local contractor D.G. for this project were minimal; however, a somewhat simpler business. As in the Buchanan Inc., to haul away excess fill we greatly appreciate WDFW’s ALEA present, all of our work was done with removed from the crossing. Volunteer Program for covering the costs of the willing landowners interested improving Dick Raisler documented the process excavator, and the Skagit Watershed fish habitat on their properties. However, photographically, while former WDFW Council for supporting SFEG staff. back in those days before grant funding Habitat Biologist (and former SFEG Board Culvert removal and repair projects was readily available most work was Member) Kurt Buchanan worked with are one of the most rewarding ways of done by volunteers who had a desire to Regina Wandler of SLT to take down restoring fish habitat. Taking out this make a difference ….and a strong back! fencing and assist with other tasks as single barrier improves access to almost This summer we got back to those a mile of rearing habitat, including both basics, working with volunteers from the floodplain side channels utilized by Wildcat Steelhead Club and Skagit Land juvenile Chinook, steelhead, coho and Trust to remove a barrier culvert from a other salmonids, as well as almost ½ mile side channel to the Cascade River. This of coho spawning habitat in the tributary. truly was a grass-roots community Such projects also allow us to engage effort. SFEG Board member (and community members with specialized Professional Engineer) Gabe skills. We hope this sets the stage for Ng worked with Aaron Minsk, similar collaborations in the future. a student in the Bellingham Technical College’s engineering program to develop designs LEFT: Removing the old culvert from and help obtain permits. David Cascade River tributary Radosevich of the Wildcat Steelhead Club worked with SFEG staff member Cory IN THIS ISSUE:
2 Wild and Scenic Film Festival 3 Collin McAvinchey Departure 4 Welcome Kelly Sykes 4 How We Spent Our Summer 5 Thank You Interns 6 Species Profile 8 Events Calendar 1 REDD: A female salmon uses her tail to dig a nest in the gravel. After she deposits her eggs the male fertilizes them. The female then covers the fertilized eggs and the resulting nest is called a redd.
MISSION Our mission is to educate and engage the community in habitat restoration and watershed stewardship to enhance wild salmonids.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ned Currence, President Sheila Tomas, Vice President Jim Fukuyama, Secretary Robin LaRue, Treasurer Don Butterfield Mary Janda Boshie Morris Bob Mottram Gabe Ng Michael Olis Jon Vanderheyden
BOARD MEETINGS The SFEG Board meets the 4th Tuesday of each month. The public is welcome to attend.
STAFF Alison Studley, Executive Director Susan Madsen, Restoration Ecologist Debbie Denton, Finance Manager Michelle Murphy, Stewardship Manager Lucy DeGrace, Outreach Coordinator Joe George, Restoration Technician Andrew Beckman, Restoration Technician Kyle Koch, Restoration Technician Bengt Miller, Restoration Technician Kelly Sykes, WA Service Corps Outreach Associate NOW SHOWING Shannon Jones, WA Conservation FALL RUN MONARCHS AND MILKWEED Corps Restoration Assistant FROM THE SPAWNING OCEANS NORTH ~ GROUNDS PROTECTING MANITOBA’S CONTACT US CHUITNA, MORE THAN BELUGA ESTUARIES 360.336.0172 SALMON ON THE LINE THE RIDGE [email protected] P.O. Box 2497 THE CORALAX RIVER OF EDEN Mount Vernon, WA 98273 DELTA DAWN BLUEBIRD MAN
Tickets $15, or $25 including SFEG Membership and Klean Kanteen gift. Tickets on sale now at http:/www.tinyurl.com/wild-scenic
www.skagitfisheries.org The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is presented with the help of the Samish Tribe, 2 www.skagitfisheries.org Aspect Consulting, the Skagit Watershed Council, and Amorterra. LEFT: Collin and Sarah finally find a fish in Alder Creek!
Departure By COLLIN MCAVINCHEY
It was a chum salmon, dismantled and generated beneath the gentle ripples The spawner survey season ended decaying, on the west bank of Alder Creek. of Alder Creek. But as the month drew in February, and since then I’ve seen a The fish had probably been lying there a on, not a single fish was seen. Again few more fish. Not many more though, couple of days, moldering gently in the and again, we’d march with hopes held considering I’ve spent at least three days humid November air, before its torn and high from the mouth of the creek up a week for the last year within a stone’s mottled flesh caught my probing gaze. I through the adjacent restoration site, throw of salmon-bearing streams. inhaled sharply with excitement and threw under the dank and dripping bridges I know it’s not peer-reviewable- myself into the mud beside the fragrant through the stand of alder trees the scientific to say that my experiences with cadaver. It was literally breathtaking. creek was named for, and finally to the only one watershed during only one year My unseemly rejoicing stemmed beaver dam at the end of the reach. was typical. It’s not hard science, but from the previous six weeks’ complete Towards the end of October, I believe it’s a powerful anecdote. My and utter lack of visible piscine activity. Restoration Ecologist Sue Madsen took pity experience highlights the importance October 4th, 2014 dawned cool and on me. We visited a culvert replacement and urgency of the work done by Skagit bright; my first day on the job as the Skagit site on Silver Creek near Alger after work Fisheries and related restoration groups. Fisheries Enhancement Group Washington one day, where Sue assured me we’d be able If we don’t continue to donate time Conservation Corps Individual Placement to see some salmon up close and personal. and funds to our precariously-funded (SFEGWCCIP for short, incidentally both Sure enough, there beneath the recently- non-profit environmental groups, the longest title and longest acronym installed culvert-replacing bridge were SFEGWCCIPs in fifty or one hundred years yet devised by mankind). The morning about a dozen bright coho splashing in the might not have a single fish left to blow saw me arriving hapless at the Job Corps shallow water. I’d seen hatchery chum in their minds as they trudge up a stream campus to attend volunteer spawner survey Whatcom Creek before, but these flashing somewhere way out in the country. training. Joe George described colorfully coho gems were the first wild salmon It’s up to us, right now, before we lose the life history of Washington’s salmon I’d ever laid eyes on. I was transfixed. the rest of what few salmon remain to us, and gave an animated reenactment Eventually, fish began appearing to get out there and plant some native of fish digging redds in Hansen in Alder Creek as well. The first several trees and teach our children about salmon Creek. I emerged from the training Oncorhynchus to return to Alder in the hopes of bringing back some of expecting to see hundreds of colorful Creek that year were met with excited those epic salmon runs of days past. If fish streaming through the creeks exclamations and frenzied sawing motions we don’t, my story of spotting a couple and rivers of the Skagit watershed. as we hurried to take measurements, dozen chum will seem as much a fantasy The next week I, along with volunteer photos, and the ends of the dead fish’s as those fishermen’s tales of salmon runs Sarah Wheatley, enthusiastically tails. Over the course of the season, thick enough to walk upon. Let’s change gallivanted the 3.2 mile round trip from we spotted 42 fish. Those 42 rotting, that story and make today’s imperiled the mouth of Alder Creek at the Skagit stinky, spawned out fish were some of salmon returns really nothing more than a River. Armed with Joe’s sage training, the most spectacular creatures I’ve had temporary dip in a general upward trend. we anticipated fat chum, brilliant coho, the pleasure of smelling in my 23 years. Thanks to everyone at Skagit and monstrous chinook to be roiling I’ve heard those oldtime stories Fisheries for teaching me how to see out of every trout hole and root cavity of of salmon runs so thick that one the natural world around me that I’d the entire reach. Contrary to my naïve could walk right across the river on never properly looked at before. Thanks expectations, there wasn’t a fish to be seen. their backs. There’s a photo of an also to all the community members My optimism waxed over the Elwha woman holding up a chinook who’ve humbled me with their tireless following three weeks as my eyes grew as large as she that I’ve thought of devotion to salmon restoration, and accustomed to the fleeting flashes of color often during my year with SFEG. an extra special thanks for those tasty, that my mind, if not the fish themselves, colorful, and sometimes stinky fish.
3 Welcome Kelly Sykes, new Washington Service Corps Member!
Hello! My name is Kelly and I am the new Washington Service Corps IP for this upcoming year. Ironically I was born in Bellingham, WA but I spent most How We Spent Our Summer of my childhood days in a small rural town just north of Spokane. events around the watershed. Thanks It was there that I developed my to a new activity from former WSC love for the outdoors, but I missed Member Katie Bunge, we taught the beautiful west side of the kids about eelgrass habitat and its Cascades. I ended up coming back importance in the salmon life cycle. to Bellingham and received by On August 6th we joined The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Nature Conservancy, American Rivers, Education from Huxley College at and American Whitewater for a float WWU. My educational background trip down the Skagit River to celebrate ranges from tropical Central of the Wild and Scenic designation American rainforests to Pacific of Illabot Creek in Marblemount. Northwest botany, and a lot in- ABOVE: Volunteers practice their native Illabot Creek was added to the Skagit between. I am a very social person plant identification skills at the SFEG Vegetation Monitoring workshop in June River Wild and Scenic River System in and I have worked with people of December 2014. The bill to protect this all ages. I am excited to put my While our field technicians important tributary was introduced passion for the beautiful world and get down and dirty with in-stream to Congress by Representatives my “people-person” personality projects during the summer “fish Suzan DelBene and Rick Larsen and to good use in the coming year window,” our outreach staff spend and create a lifelong connection the summer representing SFEG with the people, places, and at local fairs and festivals. creatures along the Skagit River. Summer kicked off with our Vegetation Monitoring workshop. SFEG Restoration Technician Andy Beckman helped volunteers brush up on plant identification, the proper way to measure tree height, and how to fill out data sheets. Led by interns Christie Turner and John Di Nicola, volunteers gathered data at ABOVE: SFEG Outreach Coordinator Lucy several restoration sites throughout DeGrace and Board Member Gabe Ng Skagit County this summer. with Congresswoman Suzan Del Bene In July and August we worked with hundreds of youngsters at several RIGHT: Ranger Rick, Francis Fish, and Sammy Salmon at the Salmon Festival
4 www.skagitfisheries.org How We Spent Our Summer Thank You INTERNS! Late summer/early fall is a time during this drought of transition for us, as we say goodbye summer. His duties also to volunteers and interns from included assisting with Washington Conservation Corps, Earth our knotweed program Corps, and individuals earning school and occasional ABOVE: Volunteer Tatum Kenn shows a credit for their efforts stream surveys with youngster how to make an eelgrass mobile with us this summer. field technicians. at the Salmon Festival. We’d like to extend a big Julia Traylor THANK YOU to the four spent the summer Senators Patty Murray and interns we’ve had the helping us get the Maria Cantwell. The Wild pleasure of working Salmon Festival and Scenic designation for with this summer. organized and running smoothly, Illabot Creek will protect Christie and is currently assisting with crucial spawning habitat for Turner and the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, salmon, steelhead and bull trout, John Di scheduled for Saturday, October and roosting habitat for bald Nicola spent the 17. She also spent time teachings eagles, for generations to come. summer leading the charge on kids how to make eelgrass mobiles Our busy summer culminated our vegetation monitoring program. at a few summer events as well. in the 4th Annual Skagit River Both John and Christie volunteered Thanks also go to the crews from Salmon Festival on September more than 300 hours collecting data Washington Conservation Corps 12. About 6,000 visitors enjoyed in the field and entering it into our and Earth Corps, which have helped the expanded hours and activities database. This info will help guide throughout the past 12 months on this year, and perfect weather and future riparian restoration efforts. restoration projects. We’re grateful great musical performances made Derrick Brillhart has spent more to these individuals and crews, and this the best Salmon Festival yet! than 300 hours working alongside wish them well as they transition other volunteers to keep our native back to school or on to work plant nursery in their chosen fields. healthy and happy
5 SPECIES PROFILE
Bull Trout AND Dolly Varden By DAVID BEATTY
Bull Trout, Salvelinus confluentus, morphological characteristics indicated it Bull trout historically ranged and Dolly Varden, S. malma, are the only is a separate species. Subsequent genetic from southeast Alaska/northern chars native to Washington. Other North analyses demonstrated the distinction British Columbia southward in coastal American chars are the Arctic char, S. between the two. An adult bull trout has watersheds to northern California alpinus, the lake trout, S. namaycush and a large, flattened head with large jaws and and eastward to inland Washington, the brook trout, S. fontinalis. Lake trout small white or yellowish spots mixed in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and Arctic char are the most broadly with pink or red spots on a grayish body British Columbia and Alberta. Habitat distributed native salmonids of North but usually none on the dorsal fin. An degradation and fragmentation, America. Bull trout, lake trout and brook adult Dolly Varden has a more rounded barriers to upstream and downstream trout are native only in North America. head, numerous white to red spots and migration, poor water quality (it is a All five members of this genus differ often some on the dorsal fin. When prime indicator species for water quality) from salmonids in the genera Salmo spawning, the intensity of spotting color and the introduction of non-native (Atlantic salmon and brown trout) and and body color increases especially in the salmonids, e.g., brook trout, has severely Oncorhynchus (Pacific salmon; rainbow Dolly Varden whose common name was restricted its current distribution. It has and steelhead; and cutthroat and sea-run derived from a brightly dressed character been extirpated in much of its range cutthroat) by not having black spots on in a Charles Dickens’ novel and thus is including northern California and in the body. Chars have numerous red, capitalized. Depending on the life history upwards of 50% of the inland Pacific pink, orange or cream-colored spots on stage, salmonid taxonomists, other fish Northwest. Anadromous bull trout their darker hued upper body. Chars biologists and experienced fishers can occur only in coastal drainages. Dolly have the smallest scales among these have difficulty clearly identifying whether Varden occur from northern Alaska salmonids and have teeth only on the it is a bull trout or a Dolly Varden where along coastal drainages to Puget Sound anterior part of the vomerine bone they coexist. The same difficulty occurs and do not occur farther eastward in (roof of the mouth) whereas salmon between Dolly Varden and Arctic char in the Pacific Northwest where only bull and other trout have vomerine teeth the far northern waters of Alaska. Dolly trout may exist. Where the natural anteriorly and posteriorly on this bone. Varden and Arctic char are more closely distribution of Dolly Varden and bull All char species are iteroparous (can related than either is to bull trout. trout overlaps, hybridization is kept to a spawn in succeeding years) and are fall minimum by the spatial and temporal spawners when daylight is shortening separation when spawning. Both the and water temperature is declining. ABOVE: Bull trout courtesy of bull trout and the Dolly Varden occur Until 1978, bull trout were “lumped WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife in the Skagit River Watershed . in” with Dolly Varden, however
www.skagitfisheries.org 6 www.skagitfisheries.org 2015 Membership Of all the native Washington salmonids, bull trout likely require the most highly specific habitat conditions SFEG IS A MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION of cold, clean water and stream, lake and If you are enjoying reading this newsletter, perhaps it’s ocean habitats that connect for migration time that you became a member! Your membership to headwater streams containing dollars are critical to support the operation of SFEG riffles, pools, large woody debris for (including producing this newsletter), allowing us cover and clean gravel for spawning. to develop new projects with landowners, providing There are four life history forms or education programs to kids throughout our watersheds, ecotypes among bull trout and Dolly and collecting monitoring data regarding restoration Varden populations, 1) strictly stream project sites to document successes. resident in quite isolated headwaters and often above migratory barriers; { MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION } { MEMBERSHIP LEVEL } 2) fluvial (small streams for spawning and early rearing and migrate to rivers NAME ______$20 - INDIVIDUAL for foraging and growth); 3) adfluvial (tributary streams for spawning and early ADDRESS ______$35 - FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD rearing and migrate to lakes for foraging ______$100 - SUPPORTER and growth); and 4) anadromous (sea- CITY / STATE / ZIP run). Fluvial, adfluvial and anadromous EMAIL ______$500 - BENEFACTOR ecotypes are migratory fish that spend one to four years in the natal stream PHONE ______OTHER $______before migrating to the river, lake or ocean. Fully adult migratory bull trout are generally much larger (24 inches PLEASE MAKE CHECKS DONATE BY MAIL: or more) than adult residents (six to PAYABLE TO S.F.E.G. PO Box 2497 Mount Vernon, WA twelve inches). Bull trout normally SFEG is a non-profit 501 c(3) become sexually mature at age four to organization. All contributions 98273 seven years and can live to age twelve are tax deductible years. Skagit River bull trout exhibit all four life history patterns. Dolly Varden in what are considered the southern populations, including Puget Sound, do feed on juvenile fish, they often are less likely to be anadromous than feed heavily on macroinvertebrates. Dolly Varden of northern populations In 1999, bull trout throughout its (north of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula). range in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Information on the migration, Montana and Nevada were listed as biology and abundance of Skagit River threatened under the Endangered Species bull trout has been derived from fish Act. Skagit River bull trout (represent trapped near Mount Vernon. Marine 26 of the 57 local populations in Puget habitat use and migrating distances have Sound) are in the threatened Coastal/ been studied using fish tagged for acoustic Puget Sound Distinct Population Segment WANTED: telemetry. Anadromous bull trout migrate (DPS). In 2004, Draft Recovery Plans New or Used Truck to the estuary/nearshore in March/April for the Coastal/Puget Sound bull trout for intensive feeding. They normally do were developed but never finalized. In SFEG is looking for a truck to not have extensive offshore migrations 2010, the Critical Habitat for bull trout replace our 1998 GMC to move our staff, but prefer shallow, nearshore habitats but throughout its range in the United volunteers, and interns to and from may migrate several kilometers along the States was designated. During 2014 and project sites located throughout the Skagit shoreline. After a few months of growth, 2015, revised Implementation Plans and Whidbey Island watersheds. they return to their natal river although for Bull Trout Recovery were being A truck that fulfills our needs must be they may migrate into a nearby river established. In all areas of Washington, 4 wheel drive and have the ability to tow if it is not a spawning year and return retention of bull trout and Dolly Varden a trailer filled with potted plants. to the ocean the following spring. is prohibited unless permitted under Ideally, we’d like a truck that has a Bull trout are predators (piscivorous) special rules issued by the Washington crew cab, but any sort of extra cab is really on juvenile salmonids as well as other Department of Fish & Wildlife. helpful. fish and this feature led to harvesting Donations are gladly accepted, practices to reduce their numbers. In however we are definitely willing to pay comparison, although Dolly Varden for a truck that has a longer life span and is in reasonable shape with a reasonable amount of miles on it.
7 PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE SKAGIT FISHERIES ENHANCEMENT GROUP PAID MT. VERNON, WA PO Box 2497 PERMIT #26 Mount Vernon, WA 98273
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Events Calendar AND Volunteer Opportunities
Salmon Sightings Wild & Scenic Film Festival Fall Planting Parties October 10 (Saturday) 11am-2pm; October 17 (Saturday) 7:30pm October 31, November 7, 14, and 21, Marblemount Boat Launch Lincoln Theatre, Mount Vernon (Saturdays) 10am-1pm Join us at the Marblemount Boat Launch The Wild and Scenic Film Festival will Help restore native riparian plants in the for an opportunity to view and learn show at the Lincoln Theatre for one night Skagit and Samish watersheds! These about salmon of the Skagit and Cascade only on Saturday October 17th. This plants will help restore salmon homes rivers. Experts will be on hand to unique Film Festival event will begin by providing shade and cover for salmon talk about salmon habitat and local with a 6:30 pm reception, with films and leaf litter for aquatic insects, which restoration efforts. Directions: Take beginning at 7:30 pm. This event uses in turn provide food for salmon. These Highway 20 east to Marblemount. At the film to inspire conservation within our riparian zones also improve water quality sharp curve in the road, continue straight community. The Festival will feature two by controlling erosion and filtering and cross the Skagit River Bridge. The hours of environmentally themed films pollutants. boat launch will be directly on the right that together represent the work of over after crossing the bridge. Park in gravel 100 film artists and directors. lot and follow signs for salmon viewing.
8 www.skagitfisheries.org