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The Nooksack Watershed
Flying for Fish Habitat Tours
December 2007
The Flying for Fish Habitat flight program
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission with support from LightHawk has been providing educational aerial tours throughout Puget Sound for over a decade to help officials, community leaders and residences better understand and protect watershed habitat. In 2007 PSMFC partnered with Whatcom Land Trust to provide flights over the Nooksack.
Pam Goddard
The Whatcom Land Trust preserves habitat for future generations
The Mission of the Whatcom Land Trust is to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, scenic, agricultural and open space lands in Whatcom County for future generations by securing interests in land and promoting land stewardship.
WLT
The Nooksack and Whatcom Lake Watershed flight path for the Whatcom Land Trust tours
WLT
The Nooksack Watershed an Aerial Perspective
The Nooksack watershed encompasses some 1,250 square miles of beautiful, productive, northwest countryside. Over 1,000 stream and river miles run through the watershed from the Cascades to Puget Sound supporting salmon, wildlife and people.
Darrell Grey NSEA
Seven species of salmon can be found in the Nooksack watershed
WLT
However Nooksack salmon are in trouble. Chinook salmon and bull trout are listed under the ESA.
Human impact on habitat
Pam Goddard
The Nooksack watershed is an attractive place to live. Population growth in the watershed is projected to be 38% between 2000 and 2020. As growth expands, so does its impacts on habitat, water quantity and quality. These compounding human impacts pose challenges to salmon, wildlife and people.
Managing growth and preserving habitat
Pam Goddard
From the air we can see the areas where habitat for salmon and wildlife has been protected by the efforts of private landowners, the Whatcom Land Trust and a variety of federal, tribal, state, and private funding sources.
What we put on our land runs off into our waters ways including pesticides, oil, and sewage. This effects water quality. The amount of water drawn out for human use effects quantity
Grant Myers ,WLT
Our flight begins with Lake Whatcom -important to people, salmon, and wildlife
More protection is required for the South Fork Spring Chinook
As we fly over the South Fork we can see areas of healthy habitat. Whatcom Land Trust is working with landholders to secure critical habitat through purchasing conservation easements or property to save this threatened population of salmon. Further support for acquisition and restoration work is needed.
NSEAPam Goddard
Middle Fork Nooksack River
Habitat protection along the Middle Fork is critical to maintaining water quality for salmon, wildlife, and people who depend on it for drinking water.
Steve Seymour
The North Fork of the Nooksack River
Pam Goddard
As we enter the North Fork of the Nooksack River we can see some of the most pristine, productive habitat available to salmon and wildlife on the river.
Protecting old growth can help protect water quality and reduce flooding
Pam Goddard
Conservation Easements and Land Trust Ownership in the upper watershed protect water quality downstream and allow natural processes to occur, forming optimum salmon habitat.
The main stem and lower Nooksack
Pam Goddard
Main stem habitat preservation and restoration is critical to recovery efforts for the listed salmon populations in the watershed.
Pam Goddard
Farmland in the Whatcom floodplain can help absorb the water that falls and runs through it. This contrasts to how water moves when it falls on the impervious services in urbanized areas. Water runs off quickly, rushing through the landscape and causing erosion and water quality problems.
Pam Goddard
Protecting farm land can protect safe passage for salmon.
Near shore habitat protection is important to salmon, wildlife and recreation
Pam Goddard
Protection for habitat at Drayton Harbor
Pam Goddard
Whatcom Land Trust is currently raising $3.5 million to purchase the Lily Point shoreline
Pam Goddard
Please Share Your Experiences
• This aerial watershed tour has been a collaborate effort between our groups. Only a few individuals can actually fly.
• We hope you’ll join us in sharing your experience with others. This power point show is available for you to use.
• Working together we can prioritize tasks and accomplish good things for our fish, our communities and economies.
Darrell Grey NSEA
Whatcom Land Trust "Stewardship for Tomorrow,” planning for the future.
We need your help. Land stewardship is a community effort. Whatcom Land Trust depends on the volunteer services and financial contributions of our members and others to protect our natural legacy.
How to help Whatcom Land Trust efforts
Encouraging support for the Lily Point purchase and Whatcom Land Trust projects.
Become a member or make a donation. Invite us to speak to your business or club. Volunteer your time or talents. Provide referrals to interested land owners. Tell us about wildlife and salmon you see in our
publicly accessible properties.
• LightHawk provides aerial support for all Flying for Fish Habitat tours.
• It champions environmental protection through the unique perspective of flight.
• The view from above speaks for itself, providing breathtaking clarity of understanding.
• PSMFC’s Fish Habitat Education Program offers educational aerial and ground watershed tours.
• For ten years, this project has provided hundreds of participants with a vivid experience of local watersheds as well as a means to connect with people, resources, and information
• It strives to translate awareness into action on behalf of fish habitat.
Partnering with Flying For Fish Habitat Program
• Contact Mandy Merklein or Pam Goddard if you would like to partner with Flying for Fish Habitat.
5415 NE 54th StreetSeattle, WA [email protected]@thalassaconsulting.com
Virtual flight tour on web at http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual/
Resources and ReferencesFor more information
• Whatcom Land Trust www.whatcomlandtrust.org
• Whatcom County Extension & WSU The Salmon Plan linkhttp://whatcomsalmon.wsu.edu
• Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Assoc.http://www.n-sea.org
• Puget Sound Partnership http://www.psp.wa.gov
• LightHawk www.lighthawk.org
• Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commissionwww.psmfc.org
Darrell Grey NSEA
