West Beach Creek restoration project finished
Published 12:06 pm Wednesday, July 1, 2015
A renewed marine legacy-in-the-making for Orcas was celebrated on Thursday, June 18, at the site of a recently completed restoration project on West Beach Creek, just above where it empties into President Channel. Members of the Trudy Erwin family, representatives of the Northwest Straits Foundation and project partners gathered to commemorate removal of a fish passage barrier at the mouth of the creek and restoration of important habitat for salmon, forage fish and aquatic and marine species within the property area.
“This beautiful place is even more special today because of the success of this project,” said Ken Carrasco, member of the Northwest Straits Foundation Board of Directors, retired fisheries biologist and Orcas islander.
Erwin, a long-time Orcas potter, was inspired to restore fish passage and improve habitat on her shoreline property. When she passed in 2013 at age 90, her daughters – Dianna Down and Sydney Exton – were committed to bringing Erwin’s wishes to fruition in partnership with the Northwest Straits Foundation, who coordinated the restoration team. Other partners include Rainshadow Consulting, Friends of the San Juans and the Washington Department of Natural Resources Aquatics Lands Restoration Program Puget Sound Corps.
“We are so grateful to Trudy Erwin’s family – Dianna and Sydney, for their leadership and willingness to partner with us on a project that will benefit, in perpetuity, the local community and entire Puget Sound region,” said Northwest Straits Foundation Interim Executive Director Joan Drinkwin, who also thanked neighbors, project partners and funders.
“This project is helping to restore our heritage,” said County Councilman Rick Hughes. “Speaking as a fourth generation islander, we used to have 27 fishing lodges on this island. Now there are none. Successful projects like these show how it’s possible to rebuild our economic and environmental heritage.”
Hughes added that San Juan County Public Works is set to move forward with a culvert improvement project to remove a second fish passage barrier upstream, scheduled to be completed by 2016. The creek is one of the few perennial streams in the islands without a natural fish passage barrier, and so it was historically accessible to sea-going fish. The fish passage barrier that was removed was formed by a combination driveway embankment and dam on private property, which created a pond on the upstream side. The project removed the culverts and dam, replacing them with a 16-foot diameter culvert. The new passage allows fish to pass upstream and downstream, and accommodates high tides and future sea level rise. The creek’s water and sediment flow processes have also been restored.
“Exciting news,” said Drinkwin. “Just last week, biologists walking the stream reported seeing a four-inch-long salmonid about 100 feet upstream. This bodes well for the positive outcomes of this project. We look forward to seeing what continued monitoring reveals.”
Carrasco and Drinkwin presented Down and Exton with an inscribed paddle carved by Swinomish carver Kevin Paul.
