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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.

Learn more by checking out the Our Skagit River Watershed story map, available in Spanish.

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The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserv

The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve has finally opened back up to the public and their new touch tank is finished! Hours are Wed-Sat 10am – 4pm. There are new protocols in place to keep volunteers, staff, and the public safe. Volunteers are needed to help with exhibits and reception.

Did you know that Skagit's Audubon Society is lend

Did you know that Skagit's Audubon Society is lending out birdwatching kits featuring bird guides, binoculars, activities, and children’s books? You can check them out from public libraries in Burlington, Mount Vernon, Anacortes, La Conner, and Concrete!

Have you noticed that the river has been a lovely

Have you noticed that the river has been a lovely shade of blue-green lately? Glacial flour (rock particles pulverized by slowly moving glaciers) from meltwater upriver is suspended in the river and reflecting the sunlight in a specific way.

The Skagit Conservation District had a lovely end-

The Skagit Conservation District had a lovely end-of-season for their Stream Team volunteers yesterday. They are looking for new volunteers to help study our streams' heath. More information about the program can be found at http://www.skagitcd.org/stream_team

Construction on the Barnaby Reach project began to

Construction on the Barnaby Reach project began today! Phase one of this project includes removing old hatchery infrastructure along Barnaby Slough. Construction activities will continue throughout the fall.

For more information on this project, go to: https://barnabystudy.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/barnaby-info-sheet-2020-final.pdf

The recent heatwave has caused the river to swell

The recent heatwave has caused the river to swell with meltwater from upriver. The water looks like chocolate milk because it's carrying a lot of sediment. How do you think this change will impact the salmon, and other wildlife living in our watershed?

We are excited to announce that we have received a

We are excited to announce that we have received an Arts in Education Partnership Grant from Washington State Arts Commission! This money will help us bring our STEAM Luminary Arts program to hundreds of local students this winter!

One of our key functions is to get lead entity gra

One of our key functions is to get lead entity grant money to projects that benefit salmon in our watershed. We strive to make our process as effective, efficient, and transparent as possible. You can learn more in our Lead Entity Program Guide, now on our website: https://www.skagitwatershed.org/resources/documents-archives/

Do you have a detention pond on your property? Ch

Do you have a detention pond on your property? Check out this free Managing Stormwater Facilities workshop, which will be held from 5:30 to 7 pm on Thursday, July 15th. Thanks to the Skagit Conservation District for helping to put this annual program together!

Announcing the completion of our first story map!

Announcing the completion of our first story map!
Explores why our watershed is unique and how people can celebrate and protect this special place for generations to come. Check it out at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3f2b734b9b5e4f4ea8290e8c1c438264

Skagit Watershed fact #30: Over 126,000 people liv

Skagit Watershed fact #30: Over 126,000 people live in the Skagit watershed. Each one of these people impacts the Skagit River in many small ways.

For example, did you know that every time you slam on your breaks, tiny bits of tire and copper from your brake pad are left on the road - and eventually wash into the river?

Photo: "Mount Vernon road", by Trevin Rudy"

Skagit Watershed fact #29: The Skagit watershed i

Skagit Watershed fact #29: The Skagit watershed is inspiring. The beauty of this area has attracted many notable artists and writers, from the painters of the Northwest School modernist art movement to Beat Generation writers who manned North Cascades fire lookouts. Today the county and its communities boast nationally-renowned galleries, museums, and arts offerings.

Photo: "Sourdough Above Skagit", by Eric Vermeers
#SkagitWaterWeeks

Skagit Watershed fact #28: The Skagit River, inclu

Skagit Watershed fact #28: The Skagit River, including its tributaries, is a Treaty-protected Usual and Accustomed Area for local Tribes’ cultural, spiritual, subsistence, and commercial way of life. The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Samish Indian Tribe, and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community have invested considerable effort in habitat protection and restoration to protect this river and its salmon runs.
#SkagitWaterWeeks

Skagit Watershed fact #27: North Cascades National

Skagit Watershed fact #27: North Cascades National Park is a major feature of the Skagit River. While the park was first proposed in 1906, it was not officially established until 1968.

Image by NASA. Can you find the Skagit Valley?
#SkagitWaterWeeks

Skagit Watershed fact #25: There are six distinct

Skagit Watershed fact #25: There are six distinct populations of wild Chinook salmon that spawn in the Skagit River. Each population has distinct spawning habits, making it very unlikely they would ever crossbreed in the wild. #SkagitWaterWeeks

Skagit Watershed fact #26: Even though Salmon only

Skagit Watershed fact #26: Even though Salmon only spawn in the Skagit River during specific months, salmon live here all year long. Chinook can spend up to their first year and a half in the Skagit River. In general, the longer they stay in the river, the greater their chances will be of making it to the Ocean. #SkagitWaterWeeks ⠀⠀⠀
Photo: Bureau of Land Management

Skagit Watershed fact #23: The rustic beauty, uniq

Skagit Watershed fact #23: The rustic beauty, unique wildlife, and small-town charm of the Skagit watershed attract visitors from all over the world. We think this is one of the best places in the world to be. ⠀
Photo: "Gate Keeper Northern State", by Jade Beker Dodds

#SkagitWaterWeeks

Skagit Watershed fact #21: Agriculture is a crucia

Skagit Watershed fact #21: Agriculture is a crucial economic component of the lower Skagit River watershed and a defining feature of the region’s identity. Skagit County produces more Tulips, Iris, and Daffodils than any other county in the United States. Agriculture in Skagit County is important for food security in Western Washington.
Photo: "Tulip Field Worker", by Patrick Lordan
#SkagitWaterWeeks

Skagit Watershed fact #20 The Skagit Watershed is

Skagit Watershed fact #20 The Skagit Watershed is managed by 24 groups including federal (North Cascades National Park, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan National Forests), state (Washington Departments of Natural Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife, Ecology, Parks), tribal (Skagit, Sauk, Suiattle, Samish, and Swinomish tribes), county, and cities. #skagitwaterweeks

Photo: "Lake Diablo at Sunset", by Devin H.

Skagit Watershed fact #19: The Skagit River System

Skagit Watershed fact #19: The Skagit River System was designated as Washington’s first, and largest, Wild and Scenic River in 1978. This designation protects 148 miles of the river and its major tributaries from the boundary of Ross Lake National Recreation Area downstream to just east of Sedro-Woolley. The Sauk, Suiattle and Cascade Rivers are protected from where they flow out of the Glacier Peak Wilderness to their confluences with the Skagit. This protection is one of the reasons we have such a high quality of fish runs in the Skagit.

Photo: John Scurlock courtesy of Skagit Land Trust

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