2006.

Skagit headwater streams show a range of sensitivities to thermal inputs from surface processes (e.g. sunlight, air temperature). Some sites located close to channel heads had a stable temperature regime moderated by cool groundwater inputs. However, most sites were responsive … Continued

Chinook salmon are well known for utilizing natal river tidal deltas, non-natal “pocket estuaries” (nearshore lagoons and marshes), and other estuarine habitats for rearing during outmigration (Reimers 1973, Healey 1980, Beamer et al 2003). Several studies have linked population responses … Continued

Fish use studies of pocket estuaries in the Whidbey Basin started in 2002. At first, research was limited to understanding juvenile Chinook salmon use of sites within Skagit Bay (Beamer et al. 2003). In 2004, study expanded to sites throughout … Continued

Estuaries exist anywhere along the coast where geologic and hydrologic conditions create a partially enclosed, diluted marine body of water. They vary in scale, depending on the size of the enclosure and the amount of freshwater dilution. A large estuary … Continued

Deepwater Slough was restored through dike removal in the summer of 2000 to provide in-channel habitat and restore an important migratory corridor for juvenile Chinook and other salmon in the Skagit Delta. Dikes blocking the channel were removed from a … Continued

The Deepwater Slough Restoration Project is located in the South Fork Skagit River delta. The project was constructed in August and September of 2000 by removing 2.77 miles of dike and restoring tidal and river hydrology to 221 acres of … Continued