Tulalip Natural Resources Department image of near Tulalip estuary and uplands with urban development encroachment
Whale
Sustaining our Traditions and Culture
Tulalip Natural Resources Department image of near Tulalip estuary and uplands with urban development encroachment
Whale
Sustaining our Traditions and Culture
Tulalip Natural Resources Department image of near Tulalip estuary and uplands with urban development encroachment
Whale
Sustaining our Traditions and Culture

Martha Creek

The Martha Creek Restoration Project was designed to restore natural fluvial processes on a coastal stream in order to create and enhance habitat for juvenile Chinook and other salmonids. Martha Creek, located within the Warm Beach community south of Stanwood, outlets directly into Puget Sound and onto the Stillaguamish River delta. The project focused on restoring the historic connection between the mouth of Martha Creek and Port Susan by removing an undersized buried pipe at the beach interface. Approximately 0.1 miles of stream were restored, resulting in a higher capacity stream channel more adapt at transporting sediment loads, providing fish passage, and supporting local salmonid lifecycles. This included channel reconfiguration to lessen the impacts of artificial modification, enhancing instream habitat via large woody debris placement, restoring native near-shore riparian vegetation, and removing and upgrading multiple fish passage blockages.

This specific restoration action was identified as a high priority by the Stillaguamish Watershed Chinook Salmon Recovery Plan and the Regional Nearshore and Marine Aspects of Salmon Recovery in Puget Sound and benefited listed Chinook salmon, in addition to other salmonids, e.g., coho, chum, and steelhead. Tulalip Tribes’ TFW continually seek restoration opportunities with private landowners to address habitat concerns and system-wide recovery across the Tribes’ Usual and Accustomed Areas.

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Tulalip Natural Resources Department line art image of forest or wetland area