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Whatcom County completes two recovery projects

Whatcom County constructed two restoration projects during summer 2009 to help recover salmon habitat and address known flood hazards.  The Canyon Creek project in the North Fork Nooksack River removed 520 feet of levee and shifted rocks to remove a major channel constriction. The constriction worsened fish passage at a bedrock cascade and disconnected the stream from its floodplain.  Subsequent phases of work are in development to help speed the habitat recovery process.  Log jams were installed at the second project site in the South Fork Nooksack River near Acme. The log jams will slow bank erosion and improve pool habitat in an area known to have cool groundwater. The cooler water is hoped to provide a protected area of refuge for spring Chinook salmon as they migrate upstream to their spawning grounds during the late summer.

Bertrand Creek
Originating in British Columbia and crossing into the U.S. near the city of Lynden, Bertrand Creek is one of the Nooksack River's largest lowland tributaries. The U.S. portion of the creek is 9.8 miles long, and drains 42.5 square miles, about half of which is in each country.

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Q. If they’re endangered, why can I still buy salmon in the grocery store?

A. Much of the salmon you see at the supermarket is Atlantic salmon raised on farms in the U.S., Canada, and Chile. Most wild salmon for sale comes from Alaska, where runs are relatively healthy and habitat is functioning properly.

If Puget Sound runs of chinook and other salmon go extinct, it’s true that there would still be salmon in other parts of the world. (However, this could change if currently healthy habitats and salmon populations are damaged in the future. Their recovery is important because it indicates how well our community is safeguarding our waters and our natural environment. Because salmon use the entire ecosystem—from headwaters to open ocean and everything in between—their health, or lack thereof, is a sign of the health of the general environment.