Lower Snohomish River Floodplain

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• Admiralty Inlet
• Comox Coast
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• Fraser Lowlands
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• Hood Canal
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• Strait of Juan de Fuca
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• West Sound
• Whidbey Basin

Salish Sea References

• Watershed Characterization Mapper
• The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
• PRISM Project Search
• Washington Coastal Atlas
• WDFW's Salmonscape Map

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At the confluence of the Lower Skykomish and the Lower Snoqualmie, the Snoqualmie river passes under Highway 522, and is constrained between Lord Hill to the north, and the glacial plateau and Ricci Creek Watershed to the south. The small Anderson, Elliot, Evans creek watersheds enter the floodplain, and drain a small portion of the plateau. After an set of meanders called Thomas' Eddy, the river begins transitioning from a gravel bedded alluvial from to a more sand bedded estuarine form. The French Slough Flood Control District maintains levees on river-right where the French Creek Watershed joins, and the Marshlands Drainage District has levees on river left reducing flood flows on their lands. The Pilchuck River enters from the north at the City of Snohomish. From here downstream, you enter the freshwater but tidally-influenced sections of the Snohomish Delta.

Notes

• File:Haring 2002 snohomish wria 7 limiting factors for salmon.pdf describes a number of side channel and small creek reconnection projects in this reach (Anderson, Elliot and Evans creeks p.129).
• File:Hass 2001 snohomish ecosystem restoration opportunities.pdf identifies levee removal at county owned park properties.
• Snohomish Conservation District has been working with land owners on river right to restore habitat functions.
• Cattle have historically had unrestricted access to portions of Elliot creek.
• Introduced fish in Beecher Lake may impact salmonid rearing potential.
• Ricci Creek has a natural falls that prevents anadromous fish passage.
• A number of small farms operate in this floodplain, with a variety of service models.
  • Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm
  • Chinook Farms operates north of Lake Beecher.
  • The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross has a food bank farm here.
• A 2013 Floodplains by Design grant was awarded to bring three Lower Snohomish projects to 30% design.
  • http://www.floodplainsbydesign.org/funded-projects/ reports "This project creates a GIS-based assessment of the lower Snohomish River basin that will: (a) locate, characterize and map all major floodplain flood protection and drainage systems and other floodplain infrastructure, (b) complete a hydro-geomorphic river model, (c) combine infrastructure information with modeling outputs, (d) identify current and future vulnerabilities and risks, (e) develop recommendations for a prioritized list of capital infrastructure and habitat projects, as well as a partnership work plan to move projects forward in a coordinated manner." Snohomish County has prepared an initial draft deliverable describing potential projects in the Snohomish River Floodplain.
• Snohomish Agricultural Resilience planning by the Snohomish Conservation District is anticipated to support planning in this reach.

Lower Snohomish Reach Scale Plan

There is no established workgroup for the Lower Snohomish. The Snohomish Sustainable Lands Strategy is working toward a Lower Snohomish Reach Scale Plan.