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Salmon Restoration Helps Farms
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Photo: Julie Allen |
Farmers needed a new tide gate; wild salmon in the Snohomish River needed better habitat. A conservation partnership that benefits both agriculture and wildlife is underway in Snohomish County Drainage District 13, near Everett, Washington.
The district, encompassing 19 farms on 600 acres in the Snohomish River Estuary, lies below high tide. As a result, successful agriculture depends on adequate drainage—that’s where the tide gate comes in.
Replacement of a rusted tide gate has led to new vitality for the community and benefits for fish and other wildlife.
Don Stuart, the Pacific Northwest Director for American Farmland Trust, reports on this success story in Saving Farms and Salmon: How a Conservation Partnership Changed One Washington Community. (485 KB pdf)
This story appeared in the Winter 2007 issue of American Farmland.