FIELD TRIP SITES

Field Trip 1

Coastal Wetlands

Stop 1.Headquarters, Skagit Wildlife Area (click here for map of Stop 1)

At the Headquarters stop we walked along the dike that maintains the agricultural fields that are used to grow grain to support waterfowl. At the old tide gate for Wiley Slough, we entered the finger dike and walked along it until we reached its terminus at Deepwater Slough. Vegetation along this channel of the Skagit River benefits from fairly low salinities (near zero much of the growing season). Productivity is high. Plants found here were Carex lyngbyei, Schoenoplectus acutus, Triglochin maritimum, Eleocharis palustris, Schoenoplectus pungens, Deschampsia caespitosa and others. We also saw an orchid, Spiranthes romanzoffiana.

Stop 2. Jensen Access, Skagit Wildlife Area (click here for map of Stop 2)

Jensen Access is about the most saline area of all the marshes of the Skagit because it is midway between the north and south forks of the Skagit River and does not receive direct freshwater input. Measured salinity was 15 ppt. More salt-tolerant spp are found here (succulents such as Plantago maritima, Triglochin maritimum, Spergularia marina, Cotula coronipifolia), but the site is not excessively salty. Carex lyngbyeii dominates much of the higher part of the site, Scirpus maritimus and Scirpus americanus dominate the middle, dissected portion, and Scirpus americanus is practically the only emergent plant on the extensive flats. The flats are actually extensively colonized by filamentous algae for parts of the year, and algal productivity equals the productivity of emergents. Invasion by Spartina (alterniflora or Townsendii) has occurred in the last decade, and will probably lead to far-reaching ecosystem changes. (4.2 mi west of I-5 Conway exit, on Fir Island Road)

Stop 3. Indian Slough, Padilla Bay (click here for map of Stop 3) (Shown on map as stop 4)

Padilla Bay is salty, and because freshwater input through the sloughs entering it from the south is small, true halophytes are found there. In Indian Slough, salinity of 30 ppt was measured, and at the mouth of the Bay, the salinity was 25 ppt. Distichlis spicata, Salicornia virginica, Triglochin maritimum and filamentous algae occur in the slough. Atriplex patula occurs along the edges. At the mouth of the slough, Zostera marina wrack becomes very extensive. Padilla Bay contains large expanses of this subtidal and intertidal macrophyte. Spartina alterniflora has established in Padilla Bay, and can be seen to the west of the point at which Indian Slough enters the Bay. You can reach this site by taking Chilberg Road north from Rawlins Road, crossing the Skagit North Fork, then proceeding to La Conner. From La Conner proceed north to State Highway 20, which connects Mt. Vernon and Anacortes. Cross Hwy 20 and proceed north, then east, then north on the Bayview Edison Road about 0.9 mi to the Indian Slough trailhead.

Field Trip 2

Freshwater Wetlands (click here for map of all five sites)

Stop 1. Big Bear Creek 12

The Big Bear Creek system is one of the least damaged watersheds on the Sammamish Plateau. Sockeye runs are quite common at this location on the creek. There are freshwater mussels, indicators of good stream quality, in this reach. The wetland south of the bridge was once farmed, and may be evidence of cyclic hydrologic conditions over time, or perhaps of increased water production by the watershed. Soil cores found a gravelly layer, perhaps till, at a depth of a little less than a meter. Wetlands on the Plateau are common, and the presence of a shallow impermeable layer may be a common characteristic leading to their development. Scirpus microcarpus, Ranunculus repens and rushes were growing at the site. Non-native reed canarygrass and yellow iris was also extensive.

Stop 2. Big Bear Creek 6

A 7.7-acre riparian wetland which is part of a system of headwater wetlands which feed Big Bear Creek. It's just downstream from Paradise Lake. It was at one time cleared of trees and used for pastures and a homestead. It is heavily infested with invasives. BBC is surrounded by forest. There is a scrub-shrub wetland to the north. The stream channel has migrating salmon.

Stop 3. Redmond Watershed Reserve

The wetland was probably flooded by a road berm constructed across an incised valley. There are old standing dead trees in the water. Water level fluctuation does not appear to be great, but there is a new control structure at the outfall, and it may have stabilized the previous hydrology. The pH is 6, but the water is dark and may contain organic material or compounds from plant material. There is a gradient from an aquatic system to an emergent wetland. The wetland contains many native species and flood-tolerant forest understory species.

Stop 4. Hazel Wolf Wetland

A large and well-flooded wetland dominated by scrub-shrub (mostly Spiraea douglasii) and open water. The water is two or three feet deep. This wetland was called Saddle Swamp and Beaver Dam Wetland in the past, and there is a long history of water stabilization by beaver activity. Five years ago, during a series of dry summers, the wetland was totally dry. It is now surrounded by subdivisions and a golf course, and there is evidence of high-energy water breaching the buffer zone. This wetland has a substantial undeveloped area associated with it.

Stop 5. Queen's Bog (Klahanie)

This bog is probably more technically a fen, but it contains most of the local bog species: sphagnum, Labrador tea, bog laurel, bog cranberry, sundews, Carex rostrata, cottongrass, Dulichium arundinaceum, etc. It also is colonized by stunted hemlocks growing out of the sphagnum. Unfortunately, the site was traversed by a gas pipeline several decades ago, destroying around 40 percent of the bog, and it is rather closely surrounded by subdivisions, allowing nutrient-rich drainage to enter it. Scrub-shrub vegetation is advancing from the north, probably taking advantage of its ability to capitalize on the higher nutrient availability. The southern part of the bog is still characteristic of nutrient-poor, typical bogs.

Field Trip 3

Created and Constructed Wetlands

Stop 1. King County Metro Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant Wetland Restoration

Part of the Brightwater plant has been designated as a restoration site to provide habitat for salmon and waterfowl, as well as other wildlife. See the site at this url: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Construction/North/Brightwater.aspx

Stop 2. UW Bothell, North Creek Floodplain

A 56 acre site designed and installed by L.C. Lee and Associates. A farm and a channelized streambed were converted into a flood plain and a sinuous stream that is designed to flood annually. Mitigation for 17 acres of wetlands destroyed in the building of University of Washington, Bothell.

Stops 3 and 4. Thornton Creek

Paramount Park is the location of a very early restoration project on Thornton Creek, which has a long and successful history of incremental restoration over the entire creek system.

Northgate Place. Waters once flowed into Thornton Creek from a large culvert that collected it from under the old south parking lot of the Northgate Shopping Center. After a contentious fight, monies were earmarked for daylighting a portion of the parking lot while at the same time creating businesses and urban residences. A very new project.

Across the street and downstream from Northgate Place, a large riparian forested wetland exists among apartments and businesses and has resisted development. Restoration projects began about twenty years ago, and are showing mature characteristics even though there is much continued disturbance in the area from people.

Stop 5. Duck Bay, Washington Park Arboretum

A substantial restoration project funded with Metro West Point treatment facility mitigation funds. Done by Anchor Environmental http://www.anchorenv.com/firm/offices/firm_seattle.html . The shoreline of Duck Bay was re-contoured and planted, a bridge was replaced, and an interpretive trail added.

In 2005-2006, the UWREN Restoration Capstone class installed a shoreline restoration on the west shore of Duck Bay.

Stop 6. Willow Live Stakes, UBNA East Basin

Just east of the Douglas Conservatory (greenhouse) at the Center for Urban Horticulture is an area of lakeside wetland. Near the shore, reed canarygrass has infested many areas. In such an area in the summer of 2003, reed canarygrass was mowed and herbicided. Arborists' wood chips were then placed over the site and in February through April of 2004, live stakes were cut from an adjacent stand of Sitka and Scouler willows and planted in an experimental design at the site. After one year, stakes planted at 2' centers significantly suppressed reed canarygrass. After two years, stakes at 3' centers significantly suppressed reed canarygrass. In pilot plots, living reed canarygrass was absent after three years.