Nisqually Watershed Flying for Fish Habitat Tours 2010

1. Nisqually Watershed Flying for Fish Habitat Tours 2010

2. The Flying for Fish Habitat flight program Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission with support from LightHawk has been providing educational aerial tours throughout Puget Sound for over a decade to help officials and community leaders better understand and protect watershed habitat. In 2010 PSMFC provided the Nisqually Tribe flights over the Nisqually watershed from Ohop Creek and the Mashel River to the delta. Carla Stehr

3. Nisqually Watershed Tour Carla Stehr The waters of the Nisqually River begin to flow at the Nisqually Glacier on Mt. Rainier. From the glacier the river continues for 78 miles through forests, dams, agricultural lands, military restricted areas, Tribal lands, and urban developments to its delta at the south end of Puget Sound.

4. Nisqually Watershed Tour The Nisqually River enters Puget Sound just northeast of Olympia. It is one of the South Sound’s largest sources of fresh water. Carla Stehr

5. Flight Path All flights provided by LightHawk’s volunteer pilots.

6. Alder Lake Dam Nisqually Salmon The Nisqually supports threatened fall Chinook salmon, late-timed chum, pink and coho salmon, coastal cutthroat trout, threatened winter steelhead and bull trout. Chinook Chum Salmon Pink   Coho   Cutthroat   Steelhead   Bull TroutSalmon images courtesy of King County. Steelhead image courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce.

7. Estuary restoration Nisqually Protection and Restoration Projects Ohop and Mashel restoration Nisqually Mainstem Protection

8. Lower Ohop project Eatonville Mashel project Lower Mashel project

9. Ohop Creek Restoration Initiative • Remeander 5 miles of ditched stream • Revegetate over 400 acres of valley floor Nisqually Indian Tribe

10. Ohop CreekRestoration 2010 Carla Stehr Carla Stehr Ohop Creek 2007 Re-meandering Project 2010

11. Mashel River restoration Fall chinook salmon, winter steelhead, and coho salmon will benefit from the restoration on the Mashel. Restoration on the Mashel River includes improving the riparian zone, restoring large woody debris, and reconnecting the river to its floodplain.

12. Nisqually Tribe Estuary RestorationLow Tide Pam Goddard Pam Goddard The Nisqually Tribe has restored 140 acres of estuary habitat on the east side of the Nisqually River.

13. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Estuary Restoration Jamie Glasgow Pam Goddard Low tide on the delta illustrates the restriction of tidal flow due to the dike.

14. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Restoration 2009 Pam Goddard Beginning of Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge outer dike removal June 2009.

15. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Restoration 2010 New Dike newly inundated wetlands Former Brown’s Farm Dike Jeanette Dorner

16. Nisqually Watershed Partners

17. Sources • Nisqually Indian Tribe (http://www.nisqually-nsn.gov/) • Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.fws.gov/Nisqually/) • Nisqually Delta Restoration (http://www.fws.gov/Nisqually/) • Nisqually Land Trust (http://www.nisquallylandtrust.org/) • Nisqually River Council (http://nisquallyriver.org/) • South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (http://spsseg.org/) • Shared Strategy for Puget Sound – (http://www.sharedsalmonstrategy.org) • LightHawk (http://www.lighthawk.org) • PSMFC (http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/)

18. PSMFC’s Fish Habitat Education Program offers educational aerial and ground watershed tours. • For ten years, this project has provided hundreds of participants with a vivid experience of local watersheds as well as a means to connect with people, resources, and information. • It strives to translate awareness into action on behalf of fish habitat.

19. LightHawk provides aerial support for all Flying for Fish Habitat tours. • Champions environmental protection through the unique perspective of flight. • The view from above speaks for itself, providing breathtaking clarity of understanding.

20. Partnering with Flying For Fish Habitat Program • Contact Pam Goddard if you would like to partner with Flying for Fish Habitat. 5415 NE 54th Street Seattle, WA 98105 206.786.8245 p.goddard@thalassa-education.com Virtual flight tour on web at http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual/

21. Please Share Your Experiences • This aerial watershed tour has been a collaborative effort between our groups. Only a few individuals can actually fly. • We hope you will join us in sharing your experiences with others. This PowerPoint show is available at www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual. • Working together we can prioritize tasks and accomplish good things for our fish, our communities, and our economies.