Skagit Land Trust’s Interest in

Barney Lake and the Lower Nookachamps

Background

Skagit Land Trust (SLT) owns 95 acres in this area.
Trust ownership comprises the western half of the seasonal wetlands referred to as Barney Lake and surrounding forest areas. These lands were acquired through donation and purchase from various landowners from 1994 onwards.
Barney Lake and its outlet encompasses approximately 260 acres. It is a Class I wetlands, the highest quality of wetland in the State. About half of it is currently protected by SLT.
Barney Lake is well-known for its wintering waterfowl including trumpeter swans and very large flocks of ducks. The seasonal lake, wetlands and surrounding agricultural fields are home to numerous raptors and other bird and mammal species. Salmon headed up Nookachamps Creek pass through this area. Barney Lake provides backwater areas for juvenile Chinook and Coho salmon. Flood waters from the Skagit River and Nookachamps Creek back up into the lake, acting as important flood water storage for the community.

OUR CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS

The eastern half of Barney Lake and the adjacent property to the east and south were formerly a dairy farm, although not all areas of the property were actively farmed due to wetland characteristics. This property was recently purchased by Clear Valley Environmental Farm LLC with intention to develop 355 acres of the 805 acre farm as a wetland mitigation bank. The bank would undertake wetland restoration of Nookachamps Creek, the East Fork of the Nookachamps Creek, Mud Lake Creek, and associated floodplain wetlands as part of the bank. The proposed mitigation bank is currently under review by local and state regulators.

The owners of Clear Valley Environmental Farm LLC do not need all of their 805 acre property for their proposed wetland business and are in discussions with the Trust to sell approximately 275 acres to Skagit Land Trust. The property we are negotiating to buy is adjacent to Skagit Land Trust’s current ownership. The Trust would then own the property and manage this additional land as part of the Trust’s Barney Lake – Nookachamps Conservation Area. The Trust would fund this property purchase through its own funds and grants. The Trust’s goal is to keep the agricultural areas outside of the wetlands and critical areas in farmland.

· Maintain and restore riparian and wetland areas for natural ecosystem functions, water quality, flood water storage, salmon, and waterfowl habitat in Nookachamps and Logan creek;

· Provide education and research opportunities for local schools and the community to increase public support for land conservation; and

· Allow seasonal, low impact, nature study opportunities to the public, where it does not significantly adversely affect ecosystem function, fish and wildlife habitat, or farming

Future Work Proposed

Nookachamps Creek has been found to be out of compliance with the Clean Water Act because of high temperatures. Riparian plantings of native trees along the Nookachamps and on the margin of the seasonal wetlands will help remove and control invasive species, as well as improve water function, quality and temperature. The Barney Lake portion of the property contains intact wetlands, although the hydrology may have been altered by diking. Ensuring native plant communities establish themselves here will be beneficial. It will also remove and control undesirable invasive species and improve wildlife habitat, water quality and wetlands function.