A habitat restoration effort on the Nooksack River aims to help two important populations of Puget Sound Chinook salmon recover from dangerously low numbers.

As with other salmon recovery actions undertaken by the Nooksack Indian Tribe, the goal of the habitat restoration project is to recover the Nooksack River for early Chinook salmon and to sustain a harvestable surplus for ceremonial, subsistence, and commercial purposes.

More than 40 logjams were placed in priority reaches of the North and South Forks of the Nooksack River, and 250 feet of riprap were removed. These actions promote natural habitat-forming processes that take place quickly and result in immediate benefit to salmon.

Funding Sources:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funds
• Other community partners

Congressional District: 1

Partners:

• Nooksack Indian Tribe
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
• Whatcom County
• Lummi Nation
• Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Whatcom Land Trust
• City of Bellingham
• Washington State Department of Ecology

Photo credits: Ami Vitale for The Nature Conservancy (featured image), Carl Franz & Ecology (other photos)