Search Results for: state of our watersheds

Ninety-nine problem culverts were uncovered in the Nooksack River watershed by simply going out and looking for them between 2010 and 2014. This is a finding in the recent State of Our Watersheds report by the treaty tribes in western Washington. From the report: A total of 604 fish barrier culverts have been identified in the WRIA 1 area through 2014. 99 of those culverts have been identified through survey between 2010 and 2014. Through 2010, there were an estimated 505 culverts at least partially blocking anadromous migration in the WRIA 1 watersheds, and through 2014 this number had increased...

Shoreline armoring in both fresh and saltwater is one of the most pervasive and growing problems facing salmon populations in our region. Armoring techniques like riprapping – adding rocks to riverbanks to prevent erosion – cut salmon off from vital habitat. According to the recently released State of Our Watersheds Report by the treaty tribes in western Washington, the riprapping on the Hoh River has gotten worse. From the report: The mainstem Hoh River has over 3.7 miles of riprap between River Mile 1 and 37. Since 2012, there have been at least four new riprap projects as well...

The state should propose a 350 gallon per day cap on permit-exempt wells withdrawing from the Stillaguamish watershed to protect against unaccounted over-withdrawal of water. By reducing the amount of surface water, over-withdrawal can harm salmon at all stages of their life cycle. From the State of Our Watersheds Report, released last year from the NWIFC: In the 2014 Stillaguamish Water Reservations Report, Washington Department of Ecology reported that 818 wells were withdrawing 143,500 gallons of water per day from the groundwater reserve for permit-exempt wells that was established in 2005. According to Ecology, an additional 50 to 75...

Impervious surfaces (i.e. pavement, development, compacted soils) contribute to degradation of salmon habitat and water quality. The Suquamish Tribe takes a closer look at that in the 2016 State of Our Watersheds. Specifically in urban areas such as Poulsbo, Silverdale, Gorst and parts of Bremerton and Port Orchard, impervious surface data for East Kitsap shows a trend toward degrading watershed conditions. The increase in the number of these kinds of artificial structures within urban watersheds threaten natural and built environments, including increased stormwater runoff, decreased water quality, degraded and destroyed marine and land habitat, and diminishing aesthetic appeal of streams and...