Sno-Stilly Riparian Zone Management Strategy

Efforts

Efforts describe the goal-oriented activites of workgroups

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This effort integrates several projects to develop a more comprehensive riparian zone management strategy in the Snohomish-Stillaguamish LIO, that integrates Salmon Recovery and TMDL implementation. A narrative effort will summarize existing ecosystem recovery strategies. A spatial analysis will evaluate a broadly defined riparian zone, differentiate between floodplain and tributary units, and then target interventions at a parcel level. This work will develop priorities for the National Estuary Programs riparian easement program, and aims to integrate farmland protection work to increase Snohomish Agricultural Resilience.

Status

• Snohomish CD has secured NEP funding for a planning phase.
• The County and NOAA have pledged technical assistance support.
• The project team has had two meetings to define scales of analysis, data sources, and roles.
• We have completed a draft spatial analysis, that is currently under technical review
• We are aiming for a public discussion of riparian zone strategy refinement at a November riparian workgroup.

Deliverables

• File:SCD 2016 riparian easement grant proposal.pdf describes funding requested from NEP riparian easement program for planning.
• File:SCD 2016 riparian easement grant figures.pdf provides maps and concept for expanded riparian zone analysis.
• Pilot areas were selected based on recent prioritization work in the Lower Stillaguamish Floodplain, North Fork Stillaguamish Floodplain, Jim Creek Watershed, and Pilchuck Creek Watershed, recent habitat analysis in Pilchuck River Watershed, and impending TMDL analyses in the Pilchuck River Watershed and French Creek Watershed.
• Draft appendix describing the spatial framework File:Cereghino 2017 DRAFT riparian framework.pdf

Reference Materials

Stillaguamish River strategies build on Recovery planning and TMDL temperature analysis.

• STAG 2000 provides the technical basis for salmon recovery planning.
• USACE 2000 describes an Army Corps General Investigation of restoration in the Stillaguamish.
• Pelletier & Bilhimer 2004 describes assessment of temperature violations under Clean Water Act
• Turner et al 2004 describes a council approved flood management strategy.
• SIRC 2005 is the published Stillaguamish Salmon Recovery Plan.
• Lawrence 2006 stillaguamish temperature TMDL strategy describes an implementation strategy to resolve findings of Pelletier & Bilhimer 2004.
• Griffith & Fuller 2012 describes long range salmon recovery targets in the Stillaguamish Delta.
• Hall et al 2014 describes model analysis of factors correlated with peak flow and low flow trends.
• Walter et al 2014 describes a strategy for managing peak flows for chinook survival.
• Leonetti 2015 augments the implementation strategy through identification of cold water refugia.
• STAG 2015 describes an acquisition strategy for restoration of floodplain processes.

Snohomish River work builds on Salmon Recovery Planning, Pilchuck River Watershed assessments, French Creek Watershed analyses, and the impending Temperature and Fecal Coliform TMDL.

• Savery & Hook 2003 describes an initial habitat survey of the Pilchuck River.
• FCWMC 2004 describes inter-agency planning in the French Creek Watershed
• SBSRF 2005 is the published salmon recovery plan
• DeVries 2010 describes geomorphic conditions in the Lower Skykomish Floodplain, a related reach scale plan is not yet available.
• SCSWM 2012 integrates assessments of the Pilchuck River Watershed integrating several reports.
• File:SCSWM 2012 pilchuck river geomorphic assessment.pdf
• File:SCSWM 2012 pilchuck river habitat assessment.pdf
• File:Flint et al 2013 woods creek habitat.pdf - habitat assessment in the priority Woods Creek, while outside the focus area, provides insight into recovery strategies.
• File:Flint 2012 woods creek riparian action plan.pdf - describes riparian strategy based on temperature analysis.
• File:DeVries 2015 lower snohomish geomorphic assessment.pdf describes geomorphic context of the lower snohomish.
• File:SCSWM et al 2015 snohomish salmon protection plan.pdf describes a watershed protection strategy for salmon recovery.
• A TMDL for fecal coliform and temperature is pending for French and Pilchuck.

Partners and Roles

• Cindy Dittbrenner - Snohomish Conservation District - Lead- Project and grant management for the CD.
• Kristin Marshall - Snohomish Conservation District - Acting Lead
• Brad Riehle - Snohomish Conservation District- Supporting technical implementation with a focus on land cover analysis.
• Paul Cereghino - NOAA- Supporting technical implementation, with a focus on flow analysis and strategic integration.
• Frank Leonetti - Snohomish County- Provides technical guidance on existing strategic planning for salmon recovery.
• Ralph Svrjcek - Ecology - Provides technical guidance on TMDL integration.
• Gi-Choul Ahn - Snohomish County- Provides advice and access to county data

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