In 2004, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published a study about high surface water temperatures in several tributaries to the Lower Skagit River. Ecology completed a Water Quality Improvement Report (WQIR or Total Maximum Daily Load/TMDL) in 2008 which described the severity of the impairment and restoration methods to reduce water temperatures. Reestablishing riparian forested buffers is the primary restoration practice needed to reduce water temperature.

Forested buffers increase effective shade and reduce the potential of surface water heating. Numerous organizations are actively working in the Skagit River watershed to promote salmon recovery through plantings, easements, property acquisition, and other multi-benefit restoration practices. However, based on the historic and current rates of restoration, the TMDL’s goal of planting 100% of all riparian areas by 2020 will not be met.

The slow pace of restoration led the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council to adopt Resolution 2019-02 in March 2019 requesting “…the Department of Ecology develop and implement a nonpoint Strategy to achieve temperature standards. Ecology agreed to convene an Advisory Group and prepare the “Lower Skagit Tributaries Temperature Implementation Strategy”  by December 31, 2019. Due to the short timeline and limited funding, the Strategy describes broad, high level goals to inform future work and discussions, and identified specific actions that Ecology will take in the near term.

Ecology invited representatives from local government units, tribes, non-profit organizations, conservation organizations, and stakeholder groups to attend a series of five meetings to develop, inform, and refine the Strategy with the intent to renew efforts and refocus attention on surface water temperatures in the TMDL area. The Lower Skagit Tributaries Advisory Group helps the Washington State Department of Ecology identify issues, priorities and opportunities for implementing the temperature TMDL.

Our meetings are open to the public.

2021 Meeting Schedule

2020 Meeting Schedule

2019 Meeting Schedule

Meeting Materials (Handouts, Presentations, Agendas, Etc)

July 23, 2020  

• Agenda
• Presentation
• Other Materials
  • Update on Public Engagement Efforts

April 21, 2020

• Agenda
• Presentation
• Other Materials
  • List of Attendees -virtual meeting

November 26, 2019

• Agenda
• Presentation
• Other Materials

October 28, 2019

• Agenda
• Presentation
• Other Materials
  • Watershed information and sequencing

September 27, 2019

• Agenda
• Presentation
• Other Materials
  • VSP and Clean Water Fact Sheet
  • South Fork Nooksack TMDL - Temperature Modeling

August 29, 2019

• Agenda
• Presentation
• Other Materials
  • PSP Resolution 2019-02

July 31, 2019

• Presentation
• Other Materials
  • Wordcloud from meeting exercise - "What is necessary for success?"

Lower Skagit Tributaries Advisory Group (AG) Members

Below is a database listing all of the documents linked above.