In parts 1 and 2, of this series I described the Nooksack River and how it’s three forks joined from the glaciers and water sheds surrounding the Mount Baker National Forest and wilderness area. The river that used to be prime salmon spawning waters teemed with salmon that fed the local Indians for thousands of years. About 150 years ago, these waters were dramatically changed with the arrival of settlers from the east who logged the hillsides and plowed the prairie lands. These typical settler activities deprived the waters of the cooling effects of the shoreline trees and degraded the water quality with flooding silt. The natural processes that sustained the waters historically became seriously disturbed. The waters and the fish suffered as a result in proportion to their proximity to the settlements. The upper reaches are less polluted that those closer to the farming and populations centers.
If it is imperative to save these salmon, (and I think it is) we must first return their habitat to an approximation of that in which they evolved over many thousands of years or buy them time to continue evolving to adapt to the new conditions. And since they are the primary food source of the Salish Sea’s Southern Resident Orca, their survival is imperiled too. These salmon are also an integral part of Northwest Indian culture as expressed by the late Billy Frank Jr. of the Nisqually Tribe and leader of the Indian fishing rights and salmon restoration movements:
“As the salmon disappear, so do our cultures and treaty rights. We are at a crossroads and we are running out of time.”
Ceremony of the first salmon at Lummi Nation Attribution: flickr commonsAnd this is not mention the commercial and sport fishing industries which amount to over two billion dollars a year to the State economy.
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, WATER AND PLANTS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
WE INVITE YOU TO NOTE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AROUND YOU AND SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS BELOW. EACH NOTE IS A RECORD THAT WE CAN REFER TO IN THE FUTURE AS WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PHENOLOGICAL PATTERNS THAT ARE QUIETLY UNWINDING AROUND US.
TO HAVE THE DAILY BUCKET IN YOUR ACTIVITY STREAM, GO TO BACKYARD SCIENCE AND CLICK ON FOLLOW.
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, WATER AND PLANTS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
In part 3, I will describe some of the monumental efforts being put forth on behalf of these fish. Although a great deal is being done to save this fish habitat, it still begs the questions: Is it enough? Can it succeed? Following I will illustrate some of what is being done to address the problems laid out in Part 2. By necessity the coverage will be selective as there are too many needs, programs, and projects to cover here.
