Acme-Saxon Instream Restoration

Project Update - Autumn 2004


What will it mean to restore natural processes in the river?

The South Fork Nooksack River has changed dramatically from what it was in the late 1800s. The once forested valley bottom was cleared of trees, riverbanks were bulldozed and armored with riprap, and immense logjams were removed. These efforts resulted in the river we see today – a relatively narrow, shallow, fast flowing channel without much shade. Even as late as the 1950s (below) water flowed through multiple channels in many parts of the river, and larger, deeper pools could still be found. The increasing constriction of the river has led to significant losses for local fisheries, and undesirable impacts to downstream landowners. Without places on the floodplain to store water and sediment during high flow events, floodwaters now race down the channel, gathering speed and increasing erosion and sedimentation.

channel comparison
 To reverse these trends, communities across America are restoring floodplains by replanting trees, modifying bank armoring, setting back levees, and installing engineered logjams. These strategies work with the natural processes of the river to protect and restore habitat and provide better flood management.

What are the restoration goals for the Acme-Saxon Reach?

The Acme-Saxon Reach of the South Fork Nooksack River was, and still is an important reach of the river for the threatened South Fork spring chinook. In the spring of 2000, local agencies and organizations began to assess habitat conditions in the Reach to develop strategies for restoring fish habitat. These studies are available at the Acme General Store and at the Deming Public Library, and also on the web at http://whatcomsalmon.wsu.edu/action-projects-acmesaxon.html.

From these studies, six restoration goals were identified (see next page), and a wide range of site-specific restoration alternatives developed to correct and/or reverse habitat deficiencies. These alternatives were evaluated for their potential benefits to fish habitat, and then considered for feasibility. An important aspect of feasibility is that a project only moves forward if the landowner voluntarily consents to the project on their land. If permission is granted, funding is sought, and a restoration project can be undertaken.

Acme-Saxon Reach Restoration Goals
Acme-Saxon Restoration Planning Group - 2002

Decrease Water Temperature

Salmon need average temperatures of 54? F or below. River temperatures near the town of Acme now average 72? F in the summer, which can be lethal to fish.

Reduce Fine Sediment

Soil erosion increases fine sediment in the river. Fine sediment smothers salmon eggs and reduces the production of food for juveniles, such as aquatic insects.

Increase Channel Length

Artificial straightening has reduced the overall length of the channel, and resulted in the loss of 86% of the historical slough habitat.

Increase Wood Function

Large, stable logjams in the river once slowed bank erosion, helped split the river into smaller and deeper channels, and provided important holding and rearing habitat.

Increase Pool Depth

The loss of stable logjams in the river has resulted in fewer, shallower pools. Fish need deep, cool pools with cover and slow moving water to rest and hide.

Increase Active Channel Area

When the river is able to migrate on the flood plain, it is able to store floodwater and sediment and create habitat.

Highlights from the August Community Meeting in Acme

On August 2, community members gathered to talk about instream restoration and the project at Lower Hutchinson. Around the room, resource people provided information related to four topics of interest:

    • Jim Hansen, Lummi Natural Resources: Acme-Saxon Instream Project History and Development
    • Paula Cooper, Whatcom County River and Flood Division: Lower Hutchinson Project Evaluation
    • Alan Soicher, Nooksack Natural Resources: River Processes and Flood Dynamics
    • Lynne Givler, Whatcom County Parks & Recreation, and Rand Jack, Whatcom Land Trust: County Parks and Land Trust Property on the River

After informal discussion, participants congregated to focus on the project being developed for Lower Hutchinson Creek. Mike Maudlin, a geologist with Lummi Natural Resources, presented the project objectives and criteria for evaluating safety and effectiveness. Participants asked questions and discussed issues including the impacts of roads and bridges, water temperature, channel processes, levee construction, and liability. The next phase of the process will be to evaluate the conceptual design and develop a final design for the project by the end of the year. The consultants hired to do this work will be presenting their analysis to the local community later this fall. For more information, contact Jim Hansen, Restoration Coordinator, Lummi Natural Resources Department, (360) 384-2340.