riparian zone
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THANK YOU! Working to restore wild salmon in Whatcom County since 1991.
Salmon need native riparian vegetation. Native trees and shrubs provide critical shade to keep water cool, roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion, and leaves and twigs fall into the stream, feeding aquatic insects that are important prey for salmon.
Salmon need stream gravel. Spawning salmon dig nests in stream gravel, known as redds, and deposit 2,000-5,000 eggs in pea to grapefruit sized rocks. Eggs and newborn salmon, known as alevins, remain in the gravel for 2-4 months.
Salmon need habitat diversity. A healthy stream has a mixture of deeper, cool pools and fast running riffles, or small rapids.
Salmon need woody debris. Logs, branches, and trees in the stream, on the banks, and across the stream provide shelter, shade, and other important habitat benefits.
You can help protect native salmon! • Avoid walking in the river - especially on gravel beds where salmon lay their eggs. • Leave logs and driftwood in the river, they provide important salmon habitat. • Don’t remove dead salmon from water or riverbanks, carcasses feed other animals!• For more info or to get involved, come see the Nooksack River Stewards at the Glacier
Public Service Center from July-Sep., visit www.n-sea.org or email [email protected].
The Nooksack River is home to endangered salmon. Do your part to help them out! Salmon need cold, clean and clear water and a healthy streamside ecosystem to survive. The area adjacent to a stream, river, or other waterbody is known as the riparian zone and helps ensure streams can support salmon.