Step by step - restoration of salmon population

American Forests, Wntr, 1998 by Jon Christensen

Salmon are a sacred symbol in the Pacific Northwest, and everywhere in the region people are plunging into restoration projects to save them from extinction. Schools are adopting streams. Volunteers are planting trees through programs like AMERICAN FORESTS' Global ReLeaf 2000. Pulp and paper mill workers are raising and releasing salmon fry.

In the Columbia River basin, the effort to save salmon has cost $3 billion since 1981. But salmon populations continue to plummet.

"We're putting Bandaids on cardiac patients," warns Charles Dewberry, a stream restoration expert who works with the Pacific Rivers Council in Florence, Oregon. Dewberry says it will take a systematic approach to restore the "critical functions" of rivers and streams. Putting structures in streams and raising fish in hatcheries are "emergency measures to buy you time for real measure to kick in," says Dewberry.

Most important is to "understand your basin," he says. One prescription will not work everywhere. But there are three common steps that must be taken:

1. Identify existing old-growth and fish hot spots. "Hang on to those good areas," says Dewberry. "If you don't protect what's intact and functioning, you'll be losing ground."

2. "Bomb proof" the uplands and roads to minimize the risk of landslides wiping out existing fish hot spots.

3. See if you have large mature conifers in your riparian zones. "If not, plant them and get them started," says Dewberry. "If you do these three steps," he says, "in 50 to 100 years you'll see significant restoration in a basin. If you don't, it's unlikely you'll see any significant restoration."

The final ingredient is patience. "When you do restoration, if you've got a five-year time scale, that's nowhere near long enough," says Dewberry. "It has taken us 100 years to get where we are. We're a long way from knowing if the restoration we're doing now is going to be successful."

AMERICAN FORESTS is pairing with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association to improve stream habitat and increase salmon populations in lowland streams in Whatcom County, about 100 miles north of Seattle. Nearly 14,000 native trees and shrubs will be planted on 20 acres of degraded riparian corridors within several watersheds through the Global ReLeaf Forests program. To contribute, call 800/873-5323.