Seattle City Light has bought two parcels of land northeast of the town of Darrington. The two 15 acre properties will be used for the purpose of salmon habitat preservation, which brings the total acreage of protected lands to 13, 647. Seattle City Light bought two parcels of land northeast of Darrington to preserve salmon habitat. The two 15 acre properties bring the total acreage protected by the utility for fish and wildlife to 13,647 acres.
The newly acquired site on the Suiattle River
With approximately 430 feet of low bank frontage on the Suiattle River, the location is an excellent provider of spawning areas for adult salmon. The forage and edge habitat along the river also allows juvenile fish a safe place to search for food and hide from predators.
The properties were purchased with grant funds totaling just over $73,000 from the State of Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board.
If you’d like to contribute to the conservation of lands like these, consider volunteering for a planting party this fall. City Light is partnering again with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group to provide planting events at various locations; two of which will be on Seattle City Light Endangered Species Act Lands (Dalles Bridge site on Nov. 14 and Iron Mountain Ranch on Nov. 21). Volunteers at the events, which run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will help restore native riparian plants in the Skagit and Samish watersheds.
The plants will provide shade and coverage for salmon, as well as, leaf litter, which attract insects for salmon to eat. For more information on the planting parties visit the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group website. Volunteers should RSVP by emailing education@skagitfisheries.org or call 360-336-0172 ext. 304.
