Combining site level project monitoring with system wide ecosystem surveillance: providing a landscape context for salmon restoration projects in the Snohomish River estuary.
Presentation Abstract
Restoration project monitoring is often conducted to monitor the conditions at a site before and after restoration. Observed changes are usually framed within the boundaries of the given restoration site and in comparison to one or more reference sites. However, restoration projects often occur in a small portion of a larger landscape and understanding the interactions between the project site and the greater landscape can be very beneficial, especially with regard to anadromous salmon. The Snohomish River estuary, like many estuaries throughout Puget Sound, has been drastically altered over time. In recent years several restoration projects have been completed within the system while several more are in various stages of completion including the Qwuloolt restoration site. We have developed a monitoring framework to include both intensive project site level monitoring (Qwuloolt) and extensive estuary-wide monitoring of fish, hydrology, and sediment dynamics. Beginning in 2012, we implemented a fish sampling program that sampled a combination of 36 random and index sites throughout the estuary and nearshore areas with a beach seine twice monthly from Feb-Sep. System level temperature, salinity, and water level is monitored continuously at 12 stations throughout the estuary. Sediment is currently monitored using SET’s installed at 4 locations with plans to install equipment at 12-18 additional sites. Extending our monitoring beyond the project site enables interpretation of site level characteristics and potential changes in the context of the entire estuarine landscape. Furthermore, our extensive system-wide monitoring enables collaboration among the agencies/groups and across project sites addressing salmon recovery/restoration within the estuary. Our goal is to create and maintain monitoring programs that address site level restoration questions, foster collaboration across project sites, generate useful information for prioritizing future restoration potential in the Snohomish River estuary, and provide basic surveillance for wild salmon populations in the Snohomish.
Session Title
Session S-08D: Salmon Recovery: Implementation and Progress I
Conference Track
Species and Food Webs
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 8:30 AM
End Date
2-5-2014 10:00 AM
Location
Room 611-612
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Restoration monitoring (Ecology)--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Estuary; Salmon--Habitat--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Estuary
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Snohomish River Estuary (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Combining site level project monitoring with system wide ecosystem surveillance: providing a landscape context for salmon restoration projects in the Snohomish River estuary.
Room 611-612
Restoration project monitoring is often conducted to monitor the conditions at a site before and after restoration. Observed changes are usually framed within the boundaries of the given restoration site and in comparison to one or more reference sites. However, restoration projects often occur in a small portion of a larger landscape and understanding the interactions between the project site and the greater landscape can be very beneficial, especially with regard to anadromous salmon. The Snohomish River estuary, like many estuaries throughout Puget Sound, has been drastically altered over time. In recent years several restoration projects have been completed within the system while several more are in various stages of completion including the Qwuloolt restoration site. We have developed a monitoring framework to include both intensive project site level monitoring (Qwuloolt) and extensive estuary-wide monitoring of fish, hydrology, and sediment dynamics. Beginning in 2012, we implemented a fish sampling program that sampled a combination of 36 random and index sites throughout the estuary and nearshore areas with a beach seine twice monthly from Feb-Sep. System level temperature, salinity, and water level is monitored continuously at 12 stations throughout the estuary. Sediment is currently monitored using SET’s installed at 4 locations with plans to install equipment at 12-18 additional sites. Extending our monitoring beyond the project site enables interpretation of site level characteristics and potential changes in the context of the entire estuarine landscape. Furthermore, our extensive system-wide monitoring enables collaboration among the agencies/groups and across project sites addressing salmon recovery/restoration within the estuary. Our goal is to create and maintain monitoring programs that address site level restoration questions, foster collaboration across project sites, generate useful information for prioritizing future restoration potential in the Snohomish River estuary, and provide basic surveillance for wild salmon populations in the Snohomish.
