TULALIP – Coho Creek didn’t exist 10 years ago. Tulalip tribal natural resources staff created the tributary to Quilceda Creek out of a drainage ditch.
“This restoration work is part of our plan to balance development on tribal lands with the preservation of fish and wildlife habitat,” said Tulalip Chairman Mel Sheldon.
This fall, more coho salmon were seen in the restored habitat than have been found since work started. In a year when most coho runs in the region were disappointing, spawning surveys counted almost 50 coho spawning in the new habitat so far this year.
Although coho were the focus of the restoration, about 1,000 chum salmon also were seen using the habitat.
“Every time we put new gravel in there, you see fish using it,” said Kurt Nelson, environmental division manager for the Tulalip Tribes. “That shows just how limited the spawning habitat is.”
Tribal staff are tracking the survival of the salmon eggs hatched in the new habitat by monitoring outgoing juvenile salmon in a smolt trap below the restoration work. The number of juveniles has been climbing slowly. Last spring several thousand chum fry and coho smolts were observed leaving the restoration area – the most observed since monitoring began.
The Coho Creek restoration began in 2000, with the replacement of a perched culvert. No salmon had been using the creek, but after the culvert was replaced, chum salmon were seen unsuccessfully attempting to spawn in the sandy ditches.
Since 2000, 2,500 feet of stream channel have been created, with thousands of feet of spawning gravel added. Eighteen culverts were removed or replaced, a half-acre forested pond was constructed, several log weirs were built and 4 acres of stream bank were planted
In the future, additional stream channel and wetlands will be created to offset the impact of further development of the tribes’ Quil Ceda business park.
“Our plans to expand the business park will use only one-third of 1,500 acres west of 27th Avenue,” Sheldon said. “The rest will be preserved or restored as fish and wildlife habitat.”
For more information, contact: Kurt Nelson, Tulalip Tribes, at 360-716-4671 or [email protected]; Kari Neumeyer, NWIFC, at 360-424-8226 or [email protected].
