Day Creek Slough Conservation Area protects over 5900 feet of shoreline along channels connected to Day Creek and the Skagit River. The Skagit River is designated a Wild and Scenic River and is the only river in Washington State that supports populations of all five species of Pacific Salmon. The property includes the upper end of Day Creek Slough and several small tributary sloughs to Day Creek. The river channels serve as important habitat for salmon and the conservation area protects habitat along the river. Historically the Upper Skagit, Swinomish and Sauk-Suiattle tribes utilized land in the vicinity of the Day Creek Slough Conservation Area. Skagit Land Trust purchased this property in 2004 with the help of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Additional purchases were made in 2005 and 2017. The goal is to manage the property as fish and wildlife habitat.

Pictured above: Gravel bars and side channels of Day Creek Slough make protecting this property important for the salmon populations of the Skagit River. Photograph credit: Skagit Land Trust staff.

Pictured above: A motion-sensor wildlife camera captures this picture of a bobcat at Day Creek Slough Conservation Area. Click on the photograph for an enlarged image. Photograph credit: Hal Lee. 

Restoration and Ecology

The Day Creek Slough Conservation Area is located at the confluence of the upper end of Day Creek Slough and the Skagit River. The entire site is within the floodplain of the Skagit River. Skagit Land Trust currently manages the property to control invasive species and to maintain and restore native riparian habitat. Red Alder, Black Cottonwood, and Big Leaf Maples dominate the canopy of this conservation area and the understory is rich in native plants such as Salmonberry and Wild Rose. The habitats protected by Day Creek Slough Conservation Area support a myriad of wildlife. Bobcat, coyote, black bear, skunk and elk have all been viewed on remote wildlife cameras monitored by Skagit Land Trust volunteers.

Day Creek Slough Conservation Area protects critical habitat for salmon species along the Skagit River. It is home to multiple species listed as "priority species" with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) including Cutthroat Trout, Sockeye, Steelhead, Pink, Chinook, Chum, and Rainbow Trout, as well as Bull Trout. Long-term management goals for the Day Creek Slough Conservation Area include removing a blocked culvert to open fish passage in Day Creek Slough. 

The work of stewarding such a diverse suite of properties is only possible through the help of dedicated volunteers.

Click here to learn more about the land stewards for this and other Skagit Land Trust properties. 

Access

This site is open to low-impact public use for community enjoyment, but access to this site is only via the Skagit River. Please watch our event page for opportunities to visit the property with Trust staff during work parties and tours.

Pictured above: A family of elk visit Day Creek Slough Conservation Area. Click on the photo above for an enlarged image. Photograph taken by remote sensor game camera. Photograph credit: Hal Lee. 

Above: Day Creek Slough is one of four conservation areas managed by Skagit Land Trust in the upper Skagit River watershed. Map created by Skagit Land Trust staff using NAIP aerial imagery from 2017.