Showing posts with label natural resources-fish and wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural resources-fish and wildlife. Show all posts

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Redmond Resident on Beaver Patrol

 

Photo by John Reinke, 10/17/2022

The City of Redmond  is fortunate to have diligent resident, John Reinke, who monitors beaver activity and their habitat. Above, is a photo of an alder tree on the Sammamish River Trail felled by a beaver. The Sammamish River is closeby on the right. It looks like someone may have pulled it off the trail.

John reported the downed tree to City stream specialist Tom Hardy and the Mayor.  Mr. Hardy immediately removed the tree and the Mayor thanked John at a public meeting.  Mr. Reinke often reports beaver activity to the County. 

John likes to insert puns' into the end of his stories! 😉

 "Finally, let me say that if I were a beaver, I'd give a dam, or at least try to make one!" 

"It was swimming steadily toward me when I suddenly heard a loud "thwack", and saw the creature's hind legs suddenly rise straight up into the air, before immediately sliding down beneath the roiling water."  (I guess we could call it a “slam dunk”…)

-- Bob Yoder, 10/23/2022

Friday, April 15, 2022

Coyotes Abound In Our Neighborhood

"Ring" photo of our coyote visitor
(click pic to enlarge)

Last night a friendly critter visited our front walkway.  First, we thought it was a cat, but look at those legs.  And the legs look a bit skinny for a dog. "It could be a deer," Pam sighed.  😕  No, it's a coyote!  You can almost see it's bushy tail and pointed ears.

Is he chasing down a cat, a squirrel, a bunny?  Lots of coyotes roam Education Hill neighborhoods, the woods and Powerline trail.  Check this photo of feasting coyote on South Education Hill.

Important to know:  Coyotes will chase down and eat cats and dogs (up to 50 pounds.)  They can hit 40 mph.  Hundreds of  unseen wild (feral) cats live in our neighborhoods so they're probably a primary food source.  

According to the Internet, coyotes run in packs of 3-7 adults and 2-7 pups.  Hmm, not so sure about that. They mate between January and March and are commonly seen then.

Be vigil when your cat or pup is out at dusk.

-- Bob Yoder, 4/15/2022
   Education Hill

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Rockwell Elementary Salmon Release


The 4th grade salmon fry release is an incredible experience for our kiddos.  The release is not only about learning, but an opportunity to experience nature and the outdoors.  For many it's a lifetime memory. My 30-year old daughter, Lexie, participated in the release with her teacher, Mr. Sheridan. I was lucky to look on. But, it didn't stop there.  Mr. Sheridan kept a fish tank in the hallway so the kiddos could watch the fry grow. Lexie now works for an engineering firm as an environmental planner. I attribute a tiny seed of her career motivation to Mr. Sheridan's teachings.

-- Bob Yoder, 4/14/2022

Monday, September 13, 2021

Large School Of Chinook Spotted At Redmond Trestle Bridge

Photo by John Reinke, Redmond resident, 9/10/2021
(click to enlarge)

"Thanks (John Reinke) for sending the photos of the salmon in the Sammamish River. I saw them when I was walking on the trestle bridge as well, and I agree, it is the biggest school of salmon (mostly Chinook) that I have seen. We've saw a few in lower Bear Creek last week, and they should really move upstream with the rain later this week. 

I believe the Chinook congregate upstream of the trestle because there is a deeper channel/pool there compared to many places in the river. There may also be some groundwater flow into the river that helps to keep it slightly cooler. There are also salmon concentrating under and downstream of the 90th Street bridge outfall because there is groundwater being pumped into the river through the outfall pipe there. The groundwater entering the river provides a cooler pocket of water for the fish to rest until moving upstream.

 

Thanks, and enjoy the fall,"

 

Tom

  

Tom Hardy (he/him)

Stream & Habitat Planner, City of Redmond

 

  425-556-2762    twhardy@redmond.gov    www.redmond.gov

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

"Evans Creek Relocation Project" Benefits Fish, Offers Land Use Opportunities (Part One)

 

The dotted blue line is the proposed, new channel.  The relocation increases buffer width benefiting
the fish and offers land-use development opportunities. King county lands are involved.

Project Overview


Evans Creek is a Class I stream that has been impacted by adjacent industrial development. Narrow vegetated buffers expose the stream channel to sunlight, and untreated runoff may be entering the channel. 

This project is listed in the WRIA 8 Chinook Conservation Plan.The large upstream watershed supports good wild Coho runs, provides important Chinook habitat and contains quality riparian habitat and corridor connectivity for other wildlife. The open space proposed for the new channel also contains the well-used Bear-Evans trail, and the stream project will benefit passive recreation opportunities. 

The proposed stream relocation solution involves the following:

  • Reconstruct the channel to the north and east of industrial properties in open space where adequate buffers can be established.
  • Reconnect the channel with floodplain wetlands and restore riparian buffer function by controlling invasive weeds and planting native riparian vegetation along the new channel.
  • Install in-stream habitat structures, streambed sediment and bioengineering in the new channel to enhance hydraulics and fish habitat.
  • Coordinate as needed with underlying private property owners, adjacent industrial development, and WSDOT. 
  • Retain and improve the Bear Evans Trail, accommodating future expansions of the trail network to the west fostering passive recreation opportunities in the area.
-- redmond.gov

Friday, February 21, 2020

Our Tour Of The Keller Farm Mitigation Bank

Image result for victor woodward image
Victor Woodward, Credit Habitat Bank LLC
The Keller Farm Wetland Mitigation Bank is directly east of Avondale Road, south of 180th Street in Redmond. It was completely flooded during the early February storm. The Keller's live nearby, and are protective of the land. The City of Redmond owns the Bank; it's approximately 75 acres of land located along Bear Creek. Find an excellent picture and description of the Bank here. Three Watertenders: Gary Smith, Dick Schaible, myself and a Redmond Parks Commissioner were toured by Victor Woodward, the Bank manager.

The Bank is devised to ensure that wetland and tree loss resulting from select developments  are compensated for by installation of native shrubs, trees and large woody debris on the Bank.  Compensation is calculated in the form of "credits" up to $100,000 or more.

Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT,) Sound Transit, large pipeline projects and various small residential developments are planned for Bank mitigation "servicing." Other project works will be forthcoming during a 12-year lease.

Victor Woodward, the manager, operator and sponsor of the Bank gave a fascinating 2.5 hour tour of the Bank on February 17th.  He's an impressive man, towering and outdoorsey.  We walked the whole perimeter, stumbling on the soaked clods of the 125 year-old has been dairy farm. Several farm ditches will be restored and maintained for aquatic and hydrology purposes. After the city permit for grading is approved Victor will level the land and kill off  various grasses and other invasives (with Roundup.) He was especially disturbed by the stubborn presence of Poison Hemlock.

We spent a lot of time hiking along Bear Creek.  Coyotes were seen in the distance, Canada Geese flew overhead, we walked by a Swan carcass; trees chewed by Beaver were everywhere. Victor chortled that his design plans for the creek area might be altered by Beavers, though they are welcome. Their feeding activity (at times dropping trees into the creek) provides excellent stream habitat and shelter for the salmon.

Towards the end of the tour we hiked along a wide ditch south of  the "Friendly Village" housing park. Ditch restoration and maintenance is required there for flood control. Victor's Habitat Bank LLC is fully insured and bonded. We lamented about the low populations of Chinook and coho this year. 

*The Bank's "service area" is far reaching. It includes all the streams that drain into the northern portion of Lake Washington, extending to development projects in south Everett, Lynnwood, Redmond, Woodinville, Kirkland, Bellevue, Sammamish and Issaquah.  This large service area will do much towards meeting Redmond's goal of a 40% tree canopy by 2050. It appears Willows are the tree of choice. 

Forterra oversees the City and Habitat Bank performance activities. Indian tribes have interest since the Bank accounts for 5% of the water entering into Bear Creek upstream. The water coming off the site is important for keeping Bear Creek cool especially in the summer.  This is critical for the salmon coming up the Sammamish River from Lake Washington and spawning in the many tributaries such as Bear and Evans Creeks.

After going through a 5-year permitting process, the Keller Wetland Mitigation Bank was approved for operation by the Army Corps of Engineers in late December, 2019 and was one of Mayor Marchione's last acts before retiring.

-- Bob Yoder
    2/21

Above, is my story of the tour.  Click READ MORE for Victor's additions and how to contact him. 

Friday, December 13, 2019

Redmond Tree Canopy

Image result for Redmond tree canopy pictures
Evans Creek Trail / Bob Yoder
Tree Canopy in Redmond is very important to our government officials and it's residents. In fact, every year for the past many years our Council and mayor have had multiple Study Sessions on our trees.  

Why is tree canopy so important?  Redmond’s character and main attraction for many community members is its trees, wooded areas, and urban forests. The benefits of trees and urban forests include reduced stormwater runoff, improved water and air quality, attractive communities, increased property values, greenhouse gas reduction, habitat for native wildlife,and improved quality of life, including finding serenity while hiking through Redmond's many wooded trails. 

Currently there are 4,062 acres of tree canopy within Redmond. I'm not sure if this includes our street trees and the Redmond Preserve. (Comments?) Overall, tree canopy coverage is declining at a rate of 12 to 13 acres per year as vacant and underutilized parcels continue to develop or redevelop. During the 2019 Redmond Lights festival I ran into Gary Smith, a parks and trails commissioner. He said a large development in North Redmond involved removing a significant number of trees; he thinks and hopes the trees will be replaced in the Keller Farm Mitigation Bank

The City of Redmond is currently at 38.1% tree canopy (as of 2017); the City is working hard to see this grow and has adopted a goal of 40% tree canopy by 2050.  The 2050 goal represents a 200-acre increase in canopy from where we are today. The City currently restores and plants approximately two acres of trees and shrubs annually and is planting four acres of trees in 2019 . Green Redmond recruits citizen volunteers to plant many of these trees.

John Reinke, a Redmond photojournalist, has taken many pictures of birds and wildlife in our woodland habitat. I sent him an outstanding article WITH great pictures titled "Super Trees."  It's a must see.  (For more on John's tree experiences "Read More"

Thursday, December 5, 2019

NE 95th Bridge Bear Creek Enhancement

One of Redmond's biggest assets is our natural environment.  Federally protected Chinook and several other species of salmon run through Bear Creak and the Sammamish River. This enhancement project will protect their stream and riparian habitat.

Council approved construction of the "Bear Creek at 95th Street Stream Enhancement Project," with Olson Brothers Excavating, Inc. of Puyallup, Washington, and Approval of Final Contract in the Amount of $410,686.41. 

The project will enhance about 680 feet of Bear Creek habitat downstream from the 95th Street bridge.  Large woody debris will be installed in the stream banks and channel.  The stream banks will be graded to create alcoves and gentler slopes.  Trees and shrubs will be planted.

Project Map  (excellent map)

-- Bob Yoder, 2019
Source:  redmond.gov


Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Light Rail Extension to impact Bear Creek

Image result for Redmond Bear creek WA images
Lower Bear Creek/ deainc.com
Construction of the Downtown Redmond Light Rail Extension will impact a swath of trees and riparian habitat along Bear Creek in the vicinity of the Overlake Urgent Care Center west to Creekside Crossing and Redmond Center Open Space.  Clearing and grading permits are required to remove 144 trees to accommodate the rail, Bear Creek "restoration," and construction access. Most of the trees will be planted off site because they won't survive in the wetland areas. For each significant tree removed, 6 saplings will be planted; for each landmark tree removed 18 saplings will be planted. A section of Bear Creek will have to be dredged to create a "back channel" for flood control and wetland habitat. Back channels are also valuable for salmon rearing.

Overall, approximately 500 linear feet of Bear Creek will be "restored or enhanced" when all is said and done.  The Design Builder is encouraged to reuse previously removed trees for onsite habitat features. In addition, Sound Transit plans to purchase wetland mitigation credits at the Keller Farm site further upstream along Bear Creek for any restoration that cannot be accommodated on-site.

All the work near Bear Creek described above is subject to review as part of the City’s shoreline and clearing and grading permits, the Army Corps and the tribes.  Construction is over 3 years out.  

  -- City Council Study Session, 5/28
      Meeting memo 

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Green heron spears frog in downtown pond


Green heron spearing a frog  (credit; Reinke)

Here is a list of birds and animals John Reinke has seen this year in the 90th Street retention pond with the three lopped trees:  
- A group of five otters seen together there all at the same time earlier this year;  
- great blue herons are fairly common  - took a picture of one swallowing a large catfish 
- green herons  
- blue kingfisher 
- beaver -  I have a photo of one I took back around 2011 or 2012
- invasive bull frog  
- black mink - I saw one there years ago
- ring necked ducks 
"Isn't it remarkable the variety of wildlife we have here in suburban Redmond?" 

- John Reinke,  11/7

Friday, May 19, 2017

UPDATED, 5/21: Hawks Glen

Quadrant removed this brick rambler, oversized garage and barn; the demolition was covered with straw

You are looking at land Quadrant names "Hawks Glen," formally "Ray Meadows."  It's 9.77 acres. Is this the last vestige of undeveloped agricultural land in Redmond? (The Conrad Olson Farmstead is a "park" and Keller Farm, a Mitigation Bank.)  A city employee in Planning said three other Preliminary Plats remain....two on Rose Hill and I think one in No. Redmond.  I doubt they're undeveloped agricultural lands. [still investigating this]

Hawks Glen has been unfarmed for as long as I can remember.  I think Councilmember Hank Margeson knows who owned it. It was sold to Quadrant by a limited partnership for $2.9M.  Matt Perkins, the Quadrant Manager said the land was ditched and used for agriculture.

The parcel is located in North Redmond on NE 116th and 178th Ave. NE.  It will be subdivided into 27 residential lots, including a duplex for affordable housing.  According to Matt, construction will begin in 2018; so expect additional car trips on Red-Wood, 166th and Avondale roads starting 2019-2020.  Below, is some interesting habitat, fish, and drainage data found in the permit file:

Monticello Creek –The on-site stream enters the property from the north, flows south/southeast, and exits the site on the east property line. It's not intermittent.  It flows into a culvert near the east property line and under 178th Avenue NE. The on-site stream is known to support resident Cutthroat trout (Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife). Coho salmon presence has been documented immediately downstream of the site by the City of Redmond. (Can't you just see a farmer and his kids fishing this creek?) There are no known obstructions or fish barriers within the Stream A channel on-site. According to the City of Redmond, this stream is a Class II stream and receives a 150-foot buffer consisting of a 100-foot inner buffer and a 50-foot outer buffer.

Fish Habitat:  According to WDFW Priority Habitat mapping, the on-site stream is inhabited by resident cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki). Coho salmon presence has been documented immediately downstream of the site by the City of Redmond. This stream connects to Bear Creek, which is also known be habitat for Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Sockeye salmon, and steelhead trout (WDFW Salmonscape). These additional salmonid species may use the on-site stream since no barrier is documented between Bear Creek and this tributary. Ideal spawning conditions appear to be somewhat limited, due to limited gravel and pools within the stream. The stream appears to have potential for smaller resident species as well.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

What's this?

Credit/ Ingunn Markiewicz
What is this?

Credit/ Ingunn Markeiwicz
Powerline Trail
He/she is a Western Screech-Owl, probably foraging for small animals in the Sammamish River riparian-forested habitat.

It's pretty amazing I can walk 20 minutes to this little guy's home; and walk 20 minutes from my home in the opposite direction to urbanized Downtown Redmond.

Ingunn is an excellent writer and photographer.  She has a fascinating blog about motherhood, trail running & hiking:
www.trailsnail.com 




Friday, June 17, 2016

Report on the Kokanee Salmon of Lake Sammamish

By Gary Smith
City of Redmond Parks and Trails Commissioner
Water Tender

"Several years ago I reported on the declining number of Kokanee in Lake Sammamish (see the WaterTender Newsletter of Fall/Winter 2009).  It was a familiar story which I called “a dire situation” on waterways near modern developments that increase pollution, sediment buildup (siltation?), flash storm-runoff, and occasionally explosive algae growth.  Kokanee are dying early in increasing numbers, threatening the entire population.

Even though the US Fish and Wildlife Service finally in 2007 (?) declined to list the fish as endangered, local groups went ahead with restoration projects, and those grassroots efforts have shown positive effects.  Returns have been up and down – no surprise for salmon-watchers -- but nothing as perilously low as 2008 when fewer than 100 Kokanee spawned, according to King County spotters.  And a couple striking new developments in the story will bring this update to a more optimistic conclusion. First, a couple basics:

·        Kokanee are the same species as sockeye salmon:  Oncorhynchus nerka (Also: Kickininee, land-locked sockeye; little redfish).
·         Unlike other salmonids, Kokanee complete their entire life cycle in fresh water, maturing in the lake and migrating into tributaries where they spawn and produce offspring imprinted with that natal water.
·         Lake Sammamish has 3 main tributaries with viable Kokanee runs:  Lewis, Ebright, and Laughing Jacobs Creeks (Issaquah Creek once had the largest migration, but it declined over the period of the state hatchery’s operation and was declared extirpated in 2002).  Read More >>

·        Over the past 7 years, each of these tributary runs has been supplemented with hatchery fry raised in its respective natal water and released in springtime (this spring, for the first time Issaquah Creek will receive transplants from other streams raised in at the Issaquah hatchery).  Several other creeks are also showing signs of life; for example, in the Redmond area Idylwood had several Kokanee this past spawning season, and I found a carcass on Bear a couple years ago (Dick Schaetzel and Ed Schein make similar claims).  These fish are probably strays because, to quote from a 2003 King County report:  “In the 1940s, the kokanee in Bear Creek were so prolific that they were considered to be the most important run of kokanee in the entire Lake Washington Basin . . . (but) by the early 1970s, the Bear Creek kokanee population was considered to be extinct” http://tinyurl.com/kokaneeupdate .
The supplementation plan was developed in 2007 by the Kokanee Work Group (KWG), which represents a myriad of government and non-government organizations, coordinated by a King County official.  The group is working to improve the health of this fish population so it becomes self-sustaining and would ultimately support fishing in the lake.  Over its 10-year history the KWG members have remained enthusiastic and have recently come together to sharpen the focus in two new public efforts: 
1.       In 2014, Sammamish Lake was named an Urban Wildlife Refuge, one of eight national programs designated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell made the announcement in spring of that year at the annual Kokanee fry release, and since then, the Kokanee Work Group and other organizations have been building a constituency to conserve fish and wildlife in the central Puget Sound watershed, centered around the Kokanee.  For more info see www.fws.gov/urban/partnerships.php .

2.      Trout Unlimited is establishing a new position, the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Restoration Project Manager.  Supported by the Kokanee Work Group, this person could greatly accelerate the pace of projects already identified by the KWG to improve fish passage and habitat and could also initiate more youth education programs, community outreach events and citizen-science activities.
The overall effort is still aimed at restoring the Kokanee to a self-sustaining population which will support a fishery, but therein lies the rub:  because yearly numbers fluctuate so greatly, it’s not clear what level is sustainable and specifically when it will be possible to take fish for human consumption, the primary goal of some groups including the tribes.  At first glance, the problem doesn’t seem so complicated, at least not compared to the other salmon species.  Since they don’t typically go to sea, the Kokanee population is contained in a closed system, and the variables affecting mortality are relatively few.  Yet, the numbers fluctuate in patterns that perplex fish biologists.  The science is too complex for this short article, but here is an example of the unpredictable numbers.  2012 was the first year when hatchery fish were expected to spawn, and numbers were indeed higher that year, but analysis showed that only 9% of them were hatchery fish.  And in-between, 2013 was another near-disaster for the population:  only 141 Kokanee returned to spawn in the 3 major tributaries, nearly equaling the worst year on record, 2007 (over half the spawners were hatchery fish).  Success is still not certain, and therefore the supplementation effort will continue until more answers are found.  See the timeline for a simplified look at the KWG strategy for Lake Sammamish Kokanee.

Among the steps I suggested in my newsletter article 7 years ago was one that now presents an opportunity for Watertenders:  “Encourage local officials to improve stormwater management.”  With or without our prodding, King County has embarked on a new multi-year project to study stormwater issues in our Bear Creek watershed.  Initial meetings have already set the groundwork for a Stakeholder Workshop and a Public Meeting this fall, aiming to complete a final watershed plan for submission to the Washington State Department of Ecology in 2018.  For details see www.kingcounty.gov/BearCreekPlan .

It is a fitting follow-on to the county’s ground-breaking work done over 25 years ago in the watershed, resulting in the Bear Creek Basin Plan which recommended regulations for storm water retention and detention, forest cover, buffers, etc.  Seems to me worthy of continued Watertender attention.

  • The following is not science-based; it’s just a story I’ll call “Chicken and the Egg:”                           So which came first, the Kokanee or the Sockeye:  As a typical glacial lake in the Pacific Northwest, Lake Sammamish is theorized to have become populated with Kokanee during the Ice Age when migrating sockeyes were trapped.  They flourished, and tribal accounts emphasize the importance of this “little red fish” as a food source, smaller than the other salmon but available year-round.  But 100 years ago things changed when the Ballard Locks were built.  It’s believed that during construction when the lake level was dropping and the southern outlet of Lake Washington was shut off and the Black River disappeared, other populations of salmon died out in Lake Sammamish.  And so today, you will often hear that the salmon in the Lake Washington system are all hatchery fish.  This is certainly debatable, and as some of you WaterTenders may remember, we heard a talk (?) attesting to the wild genes in the Bear Creek sockeye population.  Perhaps those modern sockeye had transformed from their landlocked cousins.  Kokanee have been known to occasionally migrate to the ocean and return, so it’s conceivable that the contemporary sockeye has ancient genes preserved through the landlocked period by its cousin, the Kokanee.  (That’s just my speculation and is based on imperfect knowledge of changes in streamflows over the centuries -- see this source for a more factual history of the local Kokanee:  http://tinyurl.com/kokaneehistory "

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Evans Creek Preserve - A City of Sammamish gem


THE EVANS CREEK PRESERVE

"This is a great place to take your family, yourself, or a friend for a short hike in beautiful open space only 3 miles east of downtown Redmond."  B. Yoder


By Susan Wilkins
Redmond, WA. 

The Evans Creek Preserve, a new park and nature preserve east of Redmond was opened to the public in late 2011 after nearly a decade of planning and a year of intensive trail construction. The preserve is mostly gentle rolling hills with open meadows and forested uplands. It is located in the bottomland of the Evans Creek Basin, a few miles east of Redmond, in the deep southeast trending valley that connects Redmond and Fall City. Evans Creek runs through the north edge of the preserve in an undersized, meandering channel that routinely floods creating swamps and wetland ponds that cover much of the site during the winter. 

We visited in early July and the wetlands were mostly grassy and dry. Evans Creek was running so slowly that we weren’t sure where it was and had to check the map. In the fall, Evans Creek will have native runs of chinook as well as runs of coho and sockeye salmon that will pass through the preserve and spawn upstream.


Owned and developed by the City of Sammamish, the Evans Creek Preserve is located about 3 miles east of downtown Redmond on Redmond-Fall City Road. The 180-acre property was once the farmstead of Newton and Kathryn Galley who passed away in the mid-1990s and willed their property to the University of Washington, Whitman College, Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Home Society, the Masonic Home and Redmond United Methodist Church. These 6 organizations collectively agreed to sell the property to the City of Sammamish in November 2000. The park/preserve was in the planning stage until 2011 when major development of the park and its trail system was undertaken. Old farm buildings were torn down and a new iron-works footbridge over Evans Creek was constructed. Washington Trails Association (wta.org) designated Evans Creek Preserve as one of its major lowland projects for 2011. Volunteer trail-building days were organized by WTA and 250 volunteers spent more than 7000 hours clearing brush, removing stumps, laying gravel trails and building boardwalks and bridges to create nearly 2 miles of trail loops.

To get there: The Evans Creek Preserve is located on the south side of Redmond-Fall City Road (SR202) about a mile east of the SR202/Sahalee Way intersection. Heading east on SR202, look for the sign on the right side of the road that says NE 34th Street – Private Road, turn right and go a short distance down the road. There is a 10-car parking lot with signs and maps.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Pileated Woodpecker forages on apple in Education Hill

This Pileated Woodpecker was foraging on an apple in the backyard of a neighbor next to the Shaunhaessy
 Heights development on south Education Hill.  This uncommon bird is rarely seen in Redmond anymore.
Photo By KIM CASHON-SMITH, 11/2/2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Invasive Species in our local Waterways

Invasive Species in our local Waterways
By John Reinke

Several species of invasive amphibians, reptiles, mollusks and mammals have established themselves in King County's lakes, rivers and streams. his piece discusses the three species that I've observed in the Sammamish River.   It is almost a certainty that they can also be found in Bear Creek, which flows into the Sammamish River.

The three species are: Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), and the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans)

credit: John Reinke
American Bullfrog
   The American bullfrog is native to the eastern United States, but has spread throughout the country. It is a voracious feeder, and will consume anything that can fit in its large mouth. Body length can be as long as six inches, with the legs adding as much as another ten inches. Very large bullfrogs can weigh almost two pounds.  I have seen and photographed them in and near the Sammamish River.

   It has proven easy to raise in ponds for commercial sale. Consequently, the species is now factory farmed in many parts of the world for food. According to the New York Times, more than two million bullfrogs are imported live into the San Francisco Bay Area every year. The problem is that they bring with them the deadly chytrid skin fungus, which has wiped out hundreds of frog species worldwide. (It is not harmful to humans.) A study of nearly 500 fresh-bought frogs from San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York found that 62 percent were infected with this fungus. A few manage to escape and thus help spread the fungus in the U.S.


   Locally, these bullfrogs outcompete (and also eat) native species, which are in decline partly as a result. Bullfrogs also consume ducklings, garter snakes, and even the native western pond turtle. That's why the King County environment website says: "If you catch one, feel free to eat it!"


Credit:  John Reinke
Red-eared Slider Turtle
   Like the American bullfrog, the red-eared slider is native to the eastern U.S. It is the most commonly sold pet turtle across the country. This has greatly contributed to its spread, as some escape into the wild and others are let go by owners who no longer want them.

   Their name comes from the distinctive red patch of skin around their ears. The "slider" part comes about from their ability to quickly  slide into the water from rocks and logs. Red-eared sliders eat a variety of animal and plant materials including fish, crayfish, tadpoles, snails, crickets, aquatic insects and numerous aquatic plants.


   Red-eared sliders have overwhelmed native western pond turtles to the extent that according to Wikipedia, the latter have not been found in the Puget Sound area since 2007.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Salmon are swimming under the Leary Way Bridge

The Chinook (Kings) have grey-green backs and are usually larger than the red-backed Sockeye
Hi All,
I took this photo of salmon in the Sammamish River October 7 while standing on the narrow pedestrian bridge that parallels the Leary Way Bridge here in Redmond.
I was looking north up the Sammamish River and was surprised to see a large number of red sockeye plus a few chinook schooling down below me. I counted more than 50 sockeye, plus the chinooks. I've never seen them gather like that in years past. I don't know if their behavior might have something to do with the extended dry weather we've been having. 
By John Reinke
Redmond, WA.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Thai family in Redmond hunts crayfish

Hi All,

On a Saturday afternoon in August, I spotted a Thai family hunting
for crayfish down below the promontory in front of the Opportunity Building on the Sammamish River.  Yes, Redmond!

In the first photo, you can see the mother bent over, searching for crayfish under the rocks.  In the second photo, a young boy holds up a small "signal crayfish" that his mother caught with her bare hands. 

They had caught 10 or 11 crayfish at the time I took these photos.
In addition there were two asian clams in their bucket.  These clams are eaten in SE Asian where they originate. 

I asked the mother if she boils the crayfish.  She said no, she fries them. 

Photos and Report by John  Reinke

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Wild and Natural Preservation Areas near Redmond, WA. By Susan Wilkins

Redmond Preservation Map
The Long-term plan for the Bear Creek and Evans Creek Basins east of Redmond

By Susan Wilkins
Redmond, WA.

We in Redmond are fortunate to live near some of the wildest natural areas in King County. On the east edge of Redmond, running north-south along Avondale and Mink Road is the Bear Creek Valley. And the deep valley traversed by Redmond-Fall City Road (SR202) contains the Evans Creek Basin. Both of these valleys are heavily forested and surprisingly undeveloped. They both contain significant native salmon runs with wetlands surrounding the network of meandering streams, especially compared to the incorporated, urban areas of nearby Redmond and Sammamish.

The decision to preserve the Bear and Evans Creek drainage basin areas was made more than 20 years ago. According to Paul Reitenbach, Senior Policy Analyst for the King County Department of Development and Environmental Service, in the early 1990s as part of long-term urban growth planning mandated by the Growth Management Act, the county decided to designate the Bear-Evans Creek Corridor and the Soos Creek Basin (in Kent) as permanently preserved natural areas. The King County Comprehensive Plan was written to include tight restrictions on residential and commercial developments in these basins and the county began programs that promoted habitat restoration and reforestation. Land along Bear Creek has been purchased by King County for permanent preservation using Conservation Futures Tax money provided by open space levies. Many landowners along and near Bear Creek have entered into long-term habitat preservation agreements with the county in exchange for reduced annual property tax bills.  

In the Evans Creek Basin, the City of Sammamish owns the Evans Creek Preserve, a 180-acre city park with nature trails, wetlands and meadows. King County has 30 acres under permanent protection in the Evans Creek Natural Area and also own most of the land with steep slopes along Sahalee Way.  Read More >>