There was a big pond in the middle of the front parking lot at the Swinomish “Northern Lights” casino just past the twin bridges on the way to Anacortes. It had a fence around it and was covered with lots of green goo most of the time. It was part of the original (now replaced) sewage treatment facility.
It’s gone! All filled and graded and some curbing prep. work going on. In about two or three weeks it is going to be paved to become more parking. BUT with a difference, at least for here in Skagit County!
It will be porous (pervious) asphalt … storm water will run right through it instead of off it. There is enough engineered fill under there to allow that water to slowly percolate down to the water table, helping to filter and cleanse it. The typical impervious approach would have run all the water off into the bay or a detention pond; the one method causing pollution, the other taking up space.
This is one of the several techniques of Low Impact Development (LID), which aims to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces and storm water that runs off directly into streams, ditches, and bays. City and County (and in this case Tribal) regulations are being modified to encourage more use of LID techniques. The result will be a much better chance to preserve and improve the quality of our local rivers, streams, lakes, and marine waters. And help keep our NaturalSkagit clean and healthy.
This paving project will be fun to watch. We hope to be able to publish a firm date, as it is known, in this blog – stay tuned. If you’ve never poured a bucket of water on porous asphalt or concrete, it is something to see!
Actually you can! The intersection of F & S Grade Road and Jones Road just North and West of Sedro-Woolley is done with porous asphalt. If you have ever driven through there in the rain, it is quite amazing. Just watch for traffic if you go to pour on the water!!!
The Local-Organization-You-Might-Want-To-Be-Involved-With this week is the Skagit Watershed Council. http://www.skagitwatershed.org
The Skagit Watershed Council was formed in 1997 with the basic mission to understand, protect and restore the production and productivity of the Skagit and Samish watersheds in order to support sustainable fisheries. It is a non-profit community partnership for salmon, and its 25+ members are organizations that operate locally with a role in voluntary restoration and protection of salmon habitats AND participate in the affairs of the council.
The Skagit Watershed Council is the Designated Lead Entity under Washington State Legislation ESHB 2496, a salmon recovery planning act, and is responsible for submitting a habitat restoration project list to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. As such, the Council reviews all various recovery plans and proposals for the Skagit and Samish watersheds and sends forward a recommended list for Salmon Recovery funding. On going projects are monitored and reported as well.
You can review some of the projects and the members and staff on the website.
“The Skagit” is the beautiful calendar produced yearly by the Council. Each month has a wonderful photograph taken on or near the Skagit or Samish Rivers. They are a real “must-have” item come December!
So …. July 31 is the deadline to submit your photo for consideration!!! High quality suitable for printing (300dpi at approx. 7 x 5 or 2100 x 1500 pixels.) Film as 35mm slides. Horizontal format. Name of photographer, location of picture, date taken. 407 Main St. Suite 203, Mt Vernon 98273 or Dig In and Get Famous showing our pretty NaturalSkagit!
Here are some near-term activities to consider:
Wed. July 16 County Commissioner Candidate Forum 7:00pm – 9:00pm WSU Research Center, Memorial Highway Mt. Vernon.
Sat. July 19 Free day trips – canoeing or guided hikes North Cascades Institute Learning Center on Diablo Lake Signup at 8:30 am First Come – First Served http://www.ncascades.org/daytrips for directions/info.
Sat. July 19 Beach naturalists at Washington Park 11:00am – 1:00pm Beach education with the WSU Beachwatchers.
Sun. July 20 Beach naturalists at Bayview State Park 12:00noon – 2:00pm Beach education with the WSU Beachwatchers.
Sat. July 26 Padilla Bay Foundation Smith/Aguero Trust Presentation on the Environment: Potentials for Local Tsunami 1:00pm – 3:00pm Padilla Bay Reserve Free, but RSVP requested – 428-1558 or
Sat. July 26 By Popular Demand! Wild Edible Plants with Marlee Osterbauer 2:00pm – 4:00pm Padilla Bay Reserve http://www.padillabay.gov to register/more info.
Many similar events and activities and opportunities are posted on the GoSkagit Event Calendar. Check it often!
(This blog is a service of the Skagit Conservation Education Alliance http://www.skagitwater.org Your comments will be helpful. New ideas to consider, and changes we should make are especially welcome. Corrections and further enlightenment will help as well. You can email to . Thank you.)
