Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: burritosupreme2 on November 08, 2024, 05:08:50 PM
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I haven't had time to keep up with the news of the Skagit county Island unit, but what exactly is happening? I read a post from @Special T called "The Flooding of The Farmed Island Unit in Skagit County"
https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=244968.0
What I'm wondering, is that in this post there are 4 proposed options on the island unit, what one of the proposals is happening? Also is there anyway to stop this from happening, or at least try and find a happy median?
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No way to stop it. The dike was breached on the east side of the island so that has stalled out the plans I know of.
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The dikes need to be repaired and there isnt really funding for that apparently. Also,
The state legislature has a *mandate* in place that all lands under state management have to be optimized for salmon habitat. I think now they are just going to let nature take its course. It would be rad if we could get DU to buy it and place it into a land trust for use as it was originally intended, duck hunting and habitat for ducks.
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DFW made the decision to flood the island before the dike on the eastern part breached in the November 2021 flood. Last I heard the rest of the dikes will be breached in the next 2 or 3 years but don't quote me on that. The best public duck hunting in western washington will be gone forever and we'll still be in the same situation of dwindling salmon. :'(
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The dikes need to be repaired and there isnt really funding for that apparently. Also,
The state legislature has a *mandate* in place that all lands under state management have to be optimized for salmon habitat. I think now they are just going to let nature take its course. It would be rad if we could get DU to buy it and place it into a land trust for use as it was originally intended, duck hunting and habitat for ducks.
Don't quota me verbatim... it is my understanding that in the late 90s the state entered into an agreement to restore inter tidal wetlands in the Puget Sound to increase the area of salmon rearing habitat. Something like 4000 acres needed to be restored, but the state only owns 3000. The very first project was Milltown island in Skagit. It is why Leque Island was flooded, along with many others. The Farmed Island was the last on the list due to the fact of its heavy use and it provided so many groceries for waterfowl. It is one of the areas you cannot hunt snow geese in the February season to provide farm crop damage relief. Last time I checked the state wants to purchase the private acreage N of Wiley rd adjacent to the North Fork WDFW lands. The state is only doing this work with federal grant money to my knowledge. The Washington Waterfowl Association has fought against flooding the farmed island. It also negotiated forming turntable islands on Leque that the state did not follow through on. The WDFW. Dumas done much of the marine engineering for these projects including the first phase of the farmed island unit that occured in the early 2000s. They passed on the current project due to pressure from membership.
The first reclamation project on the west/downriver portion of Farmed Island was the reason why I no longer support DU. DU stating that they don't want to be involved now is too little too late for me.