As part of the water quality monitoring, the Water Resources Program observes areas that are degraded in both water quality and wildlife habitat. Many of these areas have been known to have water quality problems for some time. However, the opportunity to correct these problems takes time to plan and fund. Recently, the Water Resources Program has secured funding for 3 water quality improvement projects.
- The Fornsby Creek Restoration was funded by the Washington State Salmon Recovery Fund Board (SRF Board) to install sef regulating tidegates and reintroduce saltwater into former estuarine wetlands.
- The Lone Tree Creek Restoration Project was funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to remove 2 blocking culverts (24" wide) and replace them with a 40 foot bridge and a 9 foot arched culvert.
- The Lone Tree Creek Water Quality Improvement Project was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Non-point Pollution fund (Clean Water Act Section 319). This project will study the Lone Tree Creek watershed to determine pollution sources and reduce the pollution by designing an in-channel treatment in conjunction with channel restoration.
One project has been completed with the installation of a TRD septic system at a residence within 20 feet of the shoreline.
Fornsby Creek Self Regulating Tidegate (SRT) / Salmon Habitat & Estuary Restoration Project → Learn More
ABSTRACT:
Estuarine habitat is increasingly recognized as critical and
limiting to salmonid populations (Beamer, 2000). The Swinomish
Indian Tribal Community has initiated a restoration project, the
Fornsby Creek SRT Project, to accomplish restoration of former
estuarine habitat adjacent to the Swinomish Channel on the
Swinomish Indian Reservation. The project will re-open more than
five miles of estuarine-riparian channel to fish and improve more
than 70 acres of associated aquatic habitat by replacing existing
impassible tidegates with self-regulating tidegates (SRTs),
improving the channel quality behind the new tidegates, and
installing vegetated buffers adjacent to the channels. An extensive
monitoring program, documenting pre-, syn-, and post-project
ecologic and hydrologic conditions, is included to facilitate
evaluation of positive and negative impacts of the project to fish
use and adjacent land uses.