With two salmonid species listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, local and tribal governments and other organizations in WRIA 1 (the state’s designation for the Nooksack basin and smaller adjacent watersheds) are stepping up efforts to protect and enhance fish species. Because time and resources are limited, there needs to be a strategy to prioritize the many different actions that could be taken to recover salmon.

In 2003, Whatcom County received a grant from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop the WRIA 1 salmon recovery plan. The County originally contracted work on the recovery plan to the Nooksack Tribe and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. Two committees advised the County and its contractors: the Steering Group provided input on technical issues regarding the development of the plan, and the Stakeholder Group provided input on issues pertaining to community interests. After the grant ended, the Nooksack Tribe and Lummi Indian Nation completed the recovery plan.

In June 2005, the WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan was released. Its purpose is to outline a local strategy of projects, programs, and timelines to recover salmonid populations, with a particular focus on chinook salmon. The recovery plan was incorporated into the Shared Salmon Strategy, a regional recovery plan for Puget Sound chinook salmon, which was approved by NOAA Fisheries in January 2007.

The WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan includes a comprehensive look at the scientific data collected on salmonids and their habitat over the last several decades, explains the factors inhibiting salmonid populations, and describes strategies and actions needed to recover salmonids to self-sustaining numbers. Central to the plan are eight actions to be taken in the next ten years that will jump-start recovery. Because harvest and hatchery management fall under the purview of the salmon co-managers, many of the new actions proposed in the recovery plan focus on habitat, which is under the control of landowners and local city and county governments.

The WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan

A four page fact sheet on the recovery plan is available. The complete plan can also be downloaded here:

Executive Summary – The Roadmap for Recovery
Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, & List of Appendices
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 2 – Goals
Chapter 3 – Background
Chapter 4 – Limiting Factors
Chapter 5 – Management Strategies and Actions
Chapter 6 – Implementation
Literature Cited
Appendix A – List of Acronyms
Appendix B – Near-Term (10-Year) Salmon Recovery Actions
Appendix C – Technical Background
Appendix D – WRIA 1 Salmonid Periodicity Chart
Appendix E – WRIA 1 Salmonid Habitat Restoration Strategy

Three-Year Implementation Strategy

Implementation of the recovery plan is being staged in three-year increments. The following documents are all PDF files.

2007-2009 implementation strategy

Descriptions of the three-year actions

Table with overview of 2007-2009 projects

Table with 2007-2009 projects' funding breakdown

Summary of 2007 projects

Summary of 2008 projects

Summary of 2009 projects

Plan Development: Stakeholder Group Meetings

September 2003 summary
October 2003 summary
November 2003 summary
December 2003 summary

Plan Development: Updates

Update #1
Update #2
Update #3