Saving chinook salmon and bull trout on the Snohomish River will cost $136 million over 10 years, experts say.
Scientists have been mapping out a plan on how to aid the recovery of the two species in the Puget Sound region. Both fish were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1999.
When completed next year, the Snohomish River Basin Salmon Conservation Plan will be merged into a larger plan for the Puget Sound region, said Martha Neuman, a senior planner for Snohomish County.
The Snohomish River plan sets goals to recover specific habitats on the river’s tributaries, on the main river, in the delta and along the shores of Possession Sound near the mouth of the river.
“This says what will need to happen to recover salmon,” Neuman said.
Some goals outlined in the plan:
* Restoring one mile of shoreline from Mukilteo past the Everett waterfront north to the Tulalip Reservation. About 20 miles of the shoreline are not in good condition for fish, mostly because the beach has been stabilized to support railroad tracks or to protect seaside development. There are 8.4 miles of shoreline habitat still healthy enough to support salmon and trout.
* The plan is a bit more ambitious in the marshes and estuaries where salty ocean water mixes with fresh river water in the lowlands between north Everett and Marysville. There are currently 1,483 acres of tidal marsh, and the plan aims to restore another 1,237 acres.
* The plan aims to restore 11 miles of riverbank along the Snohomish and its two main tributaries, the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers. There are currently 236 miles of riverbank on the three rivers.
A range of local government agencies, environmentalists and builders helped Snohomish County put the plan together. A similar plan is being developed for the Stillaguamish River.
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.
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