Pre-trip blog: Sammamish River Habitat Restoration - by Spencer F. and Kayla G.

 

In recent weeks, we’ve turned the focus of our Ecology class from the far of coral reefs of French Polynesia to something a little closer to home – salmon. We talked about the importance of salmon for a healthy ecosystem and their role as a keystone species of the Pacific Northwest. Their journey from streams to the open ocean, and back again, transfers key nutrients to the forests of the region. Over the past hundred and eighty years, white settlers in the region have disrupted salmon in a number of ways. Things like overfishing, the introduction of invasive species, and increased pollution have led to a significant decline in salmon populations, to the point where they are now in danger.  

There are multiple groups in the region fighting hard for the protection of the salmon, including a 14 group coalition called the Regional Fisheries Coalition. In this service learning experience, we worked with one of their partners, the Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement group. In the week before we went out to the work site, a representative from MSFE came to Lakeside to speak with our class as well as the Blue Planet classes, who would also be going out to do service work. Amani Moyer-Ali, a stewardship coordinator at Mid Sound Fisheries, introduced us to the worksite we would be visiting and talked a little bit about the work that they do. We learned about the 5 C’s that salmon need to be healthy: Cool, Clean, and Clear water as well as Complex and Connected river systems. The Sammamish river, where we would be going, is a great example of a river that lacks most of these things. It’s been straightened, cutting off the tributaries that are often salmon’s home streams; native plants have been removed, allowing the water to be heated by the sun; runoff from nearby farms and industrial areas is polluting the water, making it murky. All of these human caused changes are negative for salmon, and our work was part of a larger project to restore salmon habitat in the region. 

After a short drive to Woodinville, we walked along the Sammamish river to the worksite. Parts of the riverbank were in better shape than others, with sections of well established trees shading the river separated by fields of invasive grasses and blackberry. These blackberries were the main target of our restoration work that day, and we ended up pulling out parts of the large thickets that had engulfed the river banks. At first, we were split into two groups, one working on pulling weeds in a previously restored area and the other taking aim at a thicket of blackberries. It took a little while, but as a group we fell into a rhythm. Some of us had loppers, and would cut away the thorny vines to create access for those of us with shovels to dig up the roots. We all learned that blackberries are called an invasive species for a reason, and how hard they are to get rid of because of their sharp thorns and extensive and deep root system. After a quick break for lunch (and a round or two of hacky sack), we went back to work, continuing to remove the blackberries but also spreading a thick layer of mulch over the area that we had already cleared. This work was just part of the first step in the project that’s taking place at this site, but it was cool to see how much progress we were able to make as a group. We got lots of blackberries out of the ground, and you can see us all standing proudly by the pile we had made at the end of the day. 

After this experience, it became obvious that it’s harder to restore habitat that’s been destroyed than it is to protect it. The areas that we’re going to be visiting are ones that have already been impacted by human activities, but while we are there it’s important to make sure that we don’t further contribute to the deterioration of these natural wonders. That could mean wearing reef safe sunscreen while we’re there, or making sure that we listen to the voices and knowledge of those indigenous to French Polynesia, something that didn’t take place often in the Seattle area’s past.