Beamer, E., Henderson, R. and Wolf, K., 2007. Juvenile salmon and nearshore fish use in shoreline and lagoon habitat associated with Turners Bay, 2003-2006. Skagit River System Cooperative, La Conner, WA. pp. 29.

Restoration and protection of Turners Bay was identified as a priority in the Skagit
Chinook Recovery Plan (page 202 in SRSC & WDFW 2005) because of its importance to
early rearing of wild fry migrant Chinook salmon originating from the Skagit River. The
Swinomish Planning Department has sponsored a habitat change analysis (McBride
2007) that identifies restoration and protection actions that could be taken within Turners
Bay, and in its adjacent watershed and drift cells, for the benefit of the nearshore ecology
of Turners Bay.
The Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) Research Program has collected fish data
from sites within Turners Bay as part of their research on the factors limiting populations
of wild Chinook salmon. SRSC has continued to collect fish data at sites within Turners
Bay as part of its long term monitoring plan for wild Chinook salmon recovery (Greene
and Beamer 2006).
We analyzed fish data from 2003 through 2006 for this report to document the nearshore
fish assemblage using habitats within Turners Bay. This report also identifies the
importance of protecting and restoring Turners Bay for the benefit of juvenile salmon
with an emphasis on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed wild Chinook salmon.