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Birch Bay

The Birch Bay Watershed encompasses 20,173 acres of land along the shores of northwestern Whatcom County. It includes Fingalson Creek, Terrell Creek, Lake Terrell, and several other small tributaries, which drain into Birch Bay, an inlet of Georgia Strait. A large portion of the watershed consists of agricultural land (6,507 acres) and natural areas (6,953 acres). The remaining portions of the watershed support residential, commercial, and industrial land uses.
There are currently 5,452 people living in the Birch Bay watershed. This population is expected to double in the next 20 years. Currently, the urban areas within the watershed have more potential for growth than any other area in the county. The Whatcom County Planning Commission and the Birch Bay Community Plan Steering Committee are strategically planning for future development in the urban growth areas of Birch Bay. The Whatcom County Council has removed certain neighborhood from the designated urban growth area to protect steep slopes and public resources. Birch Point and portions of Point Whitehorn have been removed from future development plans to sustain the protection of wetlands and potential landslide areas.

The Birch Bay watershed provides significant habitat needs for a wide variety of marine life. There is an abundance of fish, shellfish, marine birds, and raptors. Sections of the Cottonwood Reach, Hillsdale, Central Reaches, Central Uplands, State Park and Terrell Creek neighborhoods have been identified as significant waterfowl areas and are prime habitat for the Northern Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron. The bay has healthy eelgrass beds that provide excellent forage, spawning grounds, and refuge for a number of marine species, such as, a variety of waterfowl, crab, snails, shrimp, and Pacific Herring. The bay provides excellent rearing habitat for many juvenile fish, including, forage fish and salmon. Birch bay also provides critical spawning areas for surf smelt and sand lance, which are vital members of the marine food web.

Birch Bay’s shoreline is one of the largest and most productive clamming areas in the state of Washington. Native clams are a key marine resource in Whatcom County. They may serve as an indicator species to gain an understanding of the health of shellfish resources, water quality impacts, and harvesting impacts. However, anecdotal evidence has suggested that clam populations, in some areas of Birch Bay, may be declining. The Washington State Department of Health has classified the bay as a “threatened” shellfish growing +area. A threatened status indicates a downward trend in water quality. The affects of non-point source pollution may eventually lead to the closure of shellfish beds in Birch Bay. In 2004, the Whatcom County Marine Resource Committee conducted clam inventories along Birch Bay. They will use this data to help identify potential clam enhancement sites.

Other key marine resources that have had associated habitat concerns within the watershed are coho salmon, chum salmon, coastal cutthroat and steelhead. Within the Terrell Creek sub-basin, low summer and fall flows, fish passage problems, and degraded instream and riparian habitat have contributed to declining fish populations. Reed canary grass has invaded the riparian areas around the stream, preventing the re-establishment of trees and shrubs that provide valuable shade. This shade helps maintain water quality by providing cooler water temperatures. The instream habitat is lacking pools and riffles that offer good spawning and rearing habitat for fish. Culverts within the watershed pose passage problems for fish traveling upstream to spawn. Low summer flows reduces available habitats, increases competition, and reduces or eliminates connections to off channel habitats, such as, beaver ponds or wetlands. The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) has begun a long-term restoration project to improve fish habitat within the Terrell Creek sub-basin. Dramatic improvements to riparian and instream habitats have already been accomplished. There are future projects planned for fish passage concerns and stream flow levels.

Overall, the Birch Bay watershed thrives with marine life. Habitat restoration will continue within the Terrell Creek sub-basin and efforts to identify clam enhancement sites along the shores are anticipated. Growth in the designated urban growth areas of the watershed will continue, but are being strategically planned to create a balance among development and protection of natural areas.

*Photo Courtesy of BirchBay.net

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