LeMoine, M., Beamer, E., Henrichs, B. and Hood, G., 2022. Zis a ba Restoration – Early effects on Water Conditions, Fish Community Structure and Juvenile Chinook salmon densities. Skagit River System Cooperative, La Conner, WA. pp. 52.

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The zis a ba restoration project intended to improve natural process at an approximately 90-acre
parcel near Stanwood WA along the Stillaguamish River estuary by removing and setting back
historical dikes and excavating channels. The project had objectives to return the land to tidal
marsh so that water conditions and fish use would be similar to surrounding reference areas. We
monitored water conditions, fish community structure and natural original (NOR) Chinook
salmon fry densities to evaluate if the project met its intended objectives. We observed that
dissolved oxygen was improved, fish community structure became more even and NOR Chinook
salmon fry densities increased as part of the project. Overall, juvenile Chinook salmon densities
within reference and restored sites were low when compared to densities reported for other
estuaries within Puget Sound. Estimates of overall abundance of NOR Chinook salmon fry have
low confidence, but we can safely assume abundance increased dramatically from the prerestoration condition because of the restoration efforts increased channel area exposed to natural
estuarine hydrologic process eighteen-fold.

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