by Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association Staff
The transition from spring to summer in the Pacific Northwest marks the time that one of our most iconic species is returning to freshwater across the state — salmon! Entering the river systems as early as April, threatened Chinook salmon will hold in deeper areas of the Nooksack River until August and September, their ideal spawning time. There is not a lot of information about how our increased use of river habitat in the summer impacts these fish, and there are little to no options to easily learn about the salmon in the river either before or as you are recreating.
That’s where Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) comes in! We have been working as a nonprofit in Bellingham for over 30 years and have spent time in the South Fork Nooksack valley hosting community planting parties and river cleanups. Partnering with the Nooksack Indian Tribe, we spent the weekends along the river to share information about salmon and how to best steward habitat and water quality while recreating, focusing on things like picking up trash, understanding the floating route, and walking along certain areas to avoid critical salmon habitat.
Why the South Fork
Salmon need cold, clean, and clear water to survive. Warming reduces the amount of time a spawning adult can live in freshwater, decreases the total distance a fish can migrate, and increases chances for disease. Unlike the North and Middle Forks which are fed through glacial melt from Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker, the South Fork is fed primarily through groundwater and some snowmelt from the Twin Sisters. This makes water flow less predictable and often leads to warmer, lower flows as the summer progresses and temperatures rise.
Add a critically endangered species of salmon like the spring Chinook and it’s easier to see why the South Fork Nooksack River is getting more and more attention.
For more information, visit: https://www.n-sea.org/nooksack-river-stewards.
