Template:DPU SKG

Nearshore Strategies Data Report

Cereghino et al 2012 completed a soundwide analysis to identify and describe river delta sites in Puget Sounds as part of a nearshore ecosystem restoration strategy (using remote sensing data c. 2000-2006). The following narrative of this delta site was developed to support distribution and use of analysis results:

The Skagit Delta in the Whidbey Sub-basin historically contained 19,180 acres of vegetated wetland along a 96 km shoreline. The delta receives flow from a 715,421 square kilometer watershed. These characteristics make this system the largest delta out of 16 systems in Puget Sound.

Simenstad et al 2011 found that this system had lost 74% of its vegetated tidal wetlands, and 45% of its shoreline length. Of the remaining shoreline, 63% shows some evidence of infrastructure development. In the surrounding uplands, 21% of land is estimated to have greater than 10% impervious surface. Across the watershed, 9% of land is estimated to have greater than 10% impervious surface. Based on these paramters, the site was given a degradation score of 38 out of 100, making it the 8th most degraded delta in Puget Sound. It faces a high risk of future development locally, and a low risk of development across the watershed. Approximately 53% of the watershed is currently impounded behind dams.