Snoqualmie Tribe Environmental & Natural Resources Department
Important Updates from ENR
Below are a few updates and quick information that we believe are important for the Snoqualmie Tribal Membership and the public to know.
Snoqualmie Resilient River Corridor Project
The Upper Snoqualmie River Resilient Corridor Project is a research and planning project that the Snoqualmie Tribe is conducting to hear from the Tribal Community in particular, and the broader community at large, about what they see currently happening to this part of the Snoqualmie River and surrounding land, what is important to them and their relationship to the river, and how they think it will change in the future.
To learn more or take part in the survey, click on the following link: Upper Snoqualmie River Resilient Corridor Project
Probable Coho Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome Culprit Identified
Here in the Puget Sound we commonly see high mortality in Coho salmon due to stormwater exposure when adults migrate up urban creeks to reproduce. Though there is a large spectrum of urban pollutants, a highly toxic 6PPD quinone product commonly used in tire rubber has now been identified in creeks at toxic levels. This breaking research will hopefully lead to regulation and consumer products that do not contain this toxic chemical as we rely on cars for transportation in our society and cannot escape the fact that tires are an important part of that.
“A ubiquitous tire rubber-derived chemical induces acute mortality in coho salmon”
Z. Tian et al., Science 10.1126/science.abd6951 (2020).
Kokanee Salmon Return Update - Mar. 2021
The Remote Stream Incubator on Zackuse Creek is up and running. Snoqualmie Tribe staff and WCC crew members have been assisting partners at Trout Unlimited and the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Working Group with monitoring and maintenance of the system since December. In mid-February, kokanee fry were observed to be hatching from eggs placed at the beginning of winter. These eggs were taken from eggs collected from other Lake Sammamish Creeks.
We are hopeful that the remote stream incubator project will help to return Lake Sammamish Kokanee to Zackuse Creek. This is the third year of kokanee supplementation after the removal of the East Lake Sammamish Parkway culvert that previously blocked spawning kokanee from returning to their historic habitat.
Since kokanee salmon take 3 years to mature in Lake Sammamish, we hope to see the first spawners from this program return this fall. The Remote Stream Incubator program is an effort to “jump start” what we hope will be a self-sustaining kokanee run in Zackuse Creek like the one that existed in the past.
Kokanee Salmon Return Update - Nov. 2020
In early November 2020, ENR Team Members and the WCC crew met up with Dave Kyle from Trout Unlimited to Walk Zackuse Creek and learn how to survey for fish that are returning. This will be the first year of fish spawning surveys up Zackuse Creek since the lower culverts were removed and the area restored in 2018. The surveys are looking for returning adult Kokanee and Redds (spawning nests) this year in Zackuse Creek. More updates to come as the surveys continue until December 17th. In the meantime for more information check out https://lakesammamishkokanee.com/
Snoqualmie Indian Tribe celebrates legislative win against Suction Dredge Mining in Washington State
After years of advocating for regulatory reform of suction dredge mining in Washington State’s streams and rivers, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is celebrating progress in Olympia. Prior to the passing of HB 1261, Washington State regulations on suction dredging were the laxest of many Western states, including Idaho, Oregon, California, and Montana. After many previous attempts, and years of hard work to raise awareness of this outdated and habitat-destroying practice, suction dredge reform finally passed both houses of the Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Inslee on March 18th, 2020. Suction dredge mining will now be banned from 11,000 miles of Washington stream habitat designated as ‘critical’ for salmon and trout, while remaining legal on 61,000 miles of ‘non-critical’ stream habitat.
Suction dredging is a motorized method that mineral prospectors use to search for gold in the bottoms of waterways. Imagine a giant, floating vacuum that sucks up streambed gravels, then spits the tailings back out after sifting for precious metals. Miners say it’s a quick and effective way of covering ground, but the process damages in-stream habitat. Photo courtesy of Kim McDonald; originally published in the Yakima Herald.
COVID-19 & Snoqualmie Tribe ENR Update
The Snoqualmie Tribe ENR Department is currently closed to the public and is not currently planning on any public events.
If you need to contact any staff members at the ENR Department, you can find our contact information on the “Our Mission” page.
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ENR Volunteer Email List
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Follow the link in the button to be taken to the ENR Email List form for upcoming updates on the ENR Department, local environmental issues, and volunteering opportunities with ENR.
Wildlife of the Month Blog
The Wildlife of the Month Blog is published from the following Snoqualmie Tribe Departments: Environmental & Natural Resources and Communications & Multimedia Design.
We acknowledge that we share the Snoqualmie Valley and beyond with relatives from the plant and animal kingdoms.
The land carries its own knowledge about the natural balance of our Pacific Northwest biomes, and the Snoqualmie Tribe works to ensure that this connection to the land can be protected for future generations.
ENR Updates Blog
The ENR Updates Blog is where updates about ENR Department projects will be shared, as well as updates about our local habitats.
We are excited to share with you the goals and passions of the ENR Department to create positive relationships with our local environment.
“The mission of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe (SIT) Environmental and Natural Resources (ENR) Department is to protect, preserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources of the Snoqualmie Reservation and traditional tribal lands for the benefit of current and future generations.”
ENR fulfills this mission through habitat restoration and water quality improvement projects, waste reduction and recycling, education through stewardship, and by monitoring the impacts of regional policies and projects.