Skagit County, A Place of Beauty

The Skagit is a place of incredible beauty, amazing people, and abundant natural resources. At Skagit Watershed Council, we believe that a healthy community contributes to protecting what it loves – its natural beauty and resource, its cultural richness and history, its people, and its future.

In that spirit of community, Skagit Watershed Council is launching the #OurSkagit photo contest. Head over to our blog to read more!

Skagit Watershed Council

'Our Skagit' is a broad-based initiative to empower folks who live, work and play in the Skagit area to protect our natural environment and our communities through knowledge, dialogue and the motivation to act. The Skagit Valley and its coastal regions are places of scenic beauty and natural resource abundance that have provided us with economic vitality and cultural richness. Diverse communities and interests - fishers, farmers, loggers, builders, recreationists, conservationists and others - have worked hard to steward the bounty and beauty of this place for the benefit of their families and future generations. We all share a sense of community around this special place. While we have differences, we have much more in common that should be celebrated. Our challenge, in the face of so much change coming to our Skagit, is finding common paths forward that recognize and protect our quality of life into the future.

Skagit Watershed Council

We are deeply worried about the impact of another snow drought nearly as bad as 2015 on our community and salmon fisheries. 2015 was very damaging to coho salmon for example who live in our creeks over the summer, which are already going dry in May!. Coho salmon still haven't fully recovered and here we go again. Please conserve water and habitat for our future!

Skagit County added to state drought emergency declaration

Skagit County is in for a hot, dry summer and may endure water supply challenges, according to a state drought emergency declaration.

goskagit.com

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Skagit Watershed Council

Fun Fact Friday: Unlike salmon, steelhead have the potential to spawn more than once

#steelhead #rainbowtrout #skagit #skagitriver #saukriver #steelheadfishing #funfactfriday #funfactfridayskagit #ourskagit

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Skagit Watershed Council

SWC is working collaboratively with the Town of Hamilton, Forterra NW, Skagit Land Trust, and Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group to help people and fish in the Skagit Valley. Proud of everyone's efforts to keep Skagit a special place!

Floods have ravaged Hamilton for over a century. Can outsiders persuade the town to move?

The Skagit County town of Hamilton, where floodwaters pour in regularly, has considered moving for decades. Now outsiders from Seattle are pitching bold plan to create a new American town, with little-to-no emissions or waste.

seattletimes.com

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Skagit Watershed Council

"Research in other river systems, including the Skagit and Snohomish, has shown that increasing tidal wetlands leads to fewer fish dying before they reach adulthood, and therefore larger numbers of chinook returning to spawn"

#estuary #estuaryrestoration #chinook #chinookrecovery #samonrecovery #skagitriver #ourskagit

Stillaguamish estuary restoration gives juvenile salmon more places to rear - Northwest Treaty Tribes

Juvenile salmon are using the new habitat at zis a ba in the Stillaguamish estuary, where the Stillaguamish Tribe restored tidal flow in October 2017. Formerly part of the tidal marshes connected to Port Susan and south Skagit Bay, zis a ba had been isolated from the river and tides by a dike built....

nwtreatytribes.org

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Skagit Watershed Council

The five dams on the Skagit River system provide a buffer for salmon in drought years.

"The Skagit River reservoirs, including Ross, Diablo and Gorge dams, are expected to maintain the federally-required minimum streamflows in the river, according to the water supply report. Doing so will come at the expense of some recreation in the treasured Ross Lake National Recreation Area."

#ourskagit #rosslake #northcascadesnationalpark #noca #salmon #skagit #skagitriver #ncnp

Low Ross Lake levels to impact summer recreation

As abnormally dry conditions continue, Skagit River water reserves are now forecast to reach uncharacteristic lows this summer.

goskagit.com

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Skagit Watershed Council

Fun Fact Friday: Chum will grow and mature in the ocean for 3-5 years before returning to their home stream, however, 60-90% mature at 4 years.

#funfactfriday #funfactfridayskagit #ourskagit #chum #chumsalmon #dogsalmon #keta #skagitriver #salmonfacts #salmontrivia

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