Kukutali Preserve is located on the northeast side of Skagit Bay within the reservation boundaries of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. This assessment provides information on juvenile Chinook salmon and forage fish using the Preserve’s beaches and is intended to: a) help inform a management plan for the Preserve, and b) provide juvenile Chinook salmon seasonal and abundance data necessary for determining the feasibility of restoration alternatives being considered for Kiket Lagoon.
Regarding juvenile Chinook salmon and Kiket lagoon, we found juvenile Chinook salmon currently use Kiket Lagoon in a manner consistent with the timing, abundance and fish size patterns of other Skagit Bay pocket estuaries. Increasing the lagoon’s wetted area, if feasible, would benefit Skagit Chinook salmon populations. Protecting existing lagoon habitat from loss and degradation could be improved by ensuring freshwater flowing into the lagoon does not damage fish and other native biota. We also found juvenile Chinook salmon distributed on both sides of the tombolo connecting Fidalgo Island to Kiket Island. We do not predict an increase in juvenile Chinook salmon use of Kiket Lagoon solely from increased tidal connectivity across the tombolo.
Related to forage fish, we found surf smelt eggs on Kukutali Preserve beaches with summer spawning dominant. Actions that adequately protect beach substrate and egg incubation conditions should be part of the Preserve’s management plan and should include maintaining healthy coastal sediment and marine riparian zone processes on Preserve beaches.
Beamer, E., Demma, J. and Henderson, R., 2014. Kukutali Preserve Juvenile Chinook Salmon and Forage Fish Assessment. Skagit River System Cooperative, La Conner, WA. pp. 34.
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