|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
  |
 |
     |
 |
      |
 |
       |
 |
     |
 |
|
The information on this page comes from the Summary Watershed Characterization, which was produced by the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project. Geography Water Resources Inventory Area No. 1 (WRIA 1) is located at the northernmost end of the Puget Sound lowlands. It covers over 1,410 square miles, with elevations ranging from sea level to the summit of Mt. Baker at about 10,700 feet. Most of WRIA 1 falls within Whatcom County, although approximately 21 square miles of the WRIA are in Skagit County, and 147 square miles in British Columbia. Watersheds A watershed, sometimes known as a drainage, is basically the area in which all the water runs to a common point. Over 1,000 miles of rivers and streams can be found in WRIA 1. Of the WRIA's approximately hundred lakes, Lake Whatcom is the largest at 5,003 acres. In general, the rivers and streams can be broken into two types: the uplands, where streams have steep gradients and cut through bedrock, and the lowlands, where streams have low gradients and meander through glacial and river deposits. The major river system in WRIA 1 is the Nooksack River. In the uplands east of Deming, the Nooksack River has three branches: the North Fork, the Middle Fork, and the South Fork. Water in all three forks originates as a combination of run-off from rainfall and snowmelt, groundwater, and, in the case of the North and Middle Forks, glacial melt. Stream flows in each of the forks combine just east of Deming, forming the main stem of the Nooksack River that flows to Bellingham Bay in the Strait of Georgia. On average, water in the Nooksack River takes about one day to travel from Deming to Bellingham Bay. During times of intense rain or snowmelt, water reaches Bellingham Bay more quickly. In the lowlands, tributaries such as Anderson Creek, Fishtrap Creek, and many others discharge into the main stem of the Nooksack River. Water flowing into the Nooksack from the Lynden North watershed, which includes Fishtrap and Bertrand Creeks, originates in Canada. In addition to the Nooksack River system, WRIA 1 contains several smaller watersheds that drain directly to the Strait of Georgia. These watersheds are Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, Lummi Bay, Lummi Peninsula, Point Roberts, Bellingham, Squalicum, Lummi and Eliza Islands, Lake Whatcom, Padden, Chuckanut, Oyster, and Colony. Whatcom County has over 130 miles of saltwater shoreline. One major river, the Sumas, originates in WRIA 1 and drains north into Canada, eventually flowing into the Fraser River. In addition, tributaries to the Chilliwack, such as Silesia Creek also originate south of the international border. More in-depth profiles of the watersheds in WRIA 1 can be found on the Watershed of the Month page. Salmon Presence Seven species of salmon can be found in WRIA 1-chinook, chum, coho, pink, sockeye, steelhead, and kokanee (land-locked sockeye). There are also other salmonids (fish that are closely related to salmon): bull trout and dolly varden (native char), sea-run cutthroat, resident cutthroat, rainbow trout and brook trout (a non-native char). Both chinook salmon and bull trout are listed as "threatened" under the Federal Endangered Species Act and are protected by that law. Population WRIA 1 is home to over 164,000 people (excluding those that live in the Canadian portion); 1,062 live in the Skagit County portion. The majority of the WRIA's population lives in the watersheds containing Bellingham (69,850), with the fewest in the Middle Fork Nooksack watershed (147). Land Use Land uses vary throughout the WRIA. The eastern third (305,526 acres) is dominated by forested lands in the National Forest and National Park systems. The western two-thirds support agriculture, residential development, commercial/industrial development, and forestry. According to the 2000 Whatcom County Assessor's records, almost 60 percent of the land in the western portion of WRIA 1 is either undeveloped or used for forestry or open space. For information on land types (wetlands, forestry, etc.), please see the Habitat page. Water Uses Water uses can be divided into two types, instream (where water remains in a creek or river) and out of stream. Instream uses include fisheries, wildlife habitat, scenic/aesthetic purposes, maintenance of water quality, recreation, hydropower, and other environmental values. Out of stream uses include using water for domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, mining, hatcheries, and hydropower purposes. Economy Before the 1960s, Whatcom County's economy was primarily based on natural resources, including timber, fisheries, and agriculture. Over the past 40 years, the economy has diversified. In 1999, the service sector provided 27% of the county's jobs, followed by retail at 19%, government (including schools) at 12%, and manufacturing at 11%. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
HOME
SALMON
PROJECTS
BACKGROUND
CONTACT
SITE MAP
© 2003 Whatcom County Site Design: DoubleMRanch Design whatcom.wsu.edu
|
