(Washington, D.C.) –
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen
(WA-02) introduced legislation to designate Illabot Creek in Skagit County as a
Wild and Scenic River. The legislation will protect the free-flowing character
of Illabot Creek, an important habitat for threatened wild Chinook salmon,
steelhead, bull trout and other wildlife, while maintaining recreational
opportunities such as hunting and fishing.
“Protecting
the Illabot Creek is an important step toward preserving what makes Washington
state so unique,” said Senator
Patty Murray. “Washingtonians take great pride in our state’s tremendous
natural beauty and the wildlife that inhabit it. I applaud the volunteers who
have been working tirelessly over the years to protect the creek so that its
wildlife and beauty can be experienced and enjoyed by future generations, and
I’m proud to be a partner in this effort.”
“Illabot Creek is a critical habitat and an
important part of Washington state’s environmental heritage,” said Rep.
Rick Larsen. “Designating Illabot Creek as a Wild and Scenic River will
help protect endangered salmon, eagles and other wildlife and ensure that folks
from Skagit County and visitors to the region are able to continue hunting,
fishing and enjoying the many recreational opportunities that the creek offers
for generations to come.”
Illabot Creek flows for
14.3 miles through Skagit County, starting at Snow King Mountain 7,500 feet up
in the Cascades and tumbling down to join the Skagit River at 500 feet above
sea level. Illabot Creek provides crucial spawning habitat for wild Chinook
salmon, steelhead and bull trout, all threatened species, and is home to
numerous other species including bald eagles that roost along the creek.
The
Skagit River watershed supports one of the largest concentrations of wintering
bald eagles in the lower 48 states. Because of the abundance of salmon and the
high quality of habitat, Illabot Creek is the center of foraging activity and
supports two communal night roosts. One roost area is within the existing
Skagit Wild and Scenic River corridor. The second is within the proposed
Illabot Creek Wild and Scenic River designation. This abundance of bald
eagles is a major attraction in Skagit County, and supports tourist activity,
including the Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival.
The National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 to preserve certain rivers
of outstanding value in a free-flowing condition for future generations. The
Illabot Creek Wild and Scenic River Act will prohibit dams and other water
projects that impair the free-flowing nature of a the river and
establish a protected corridor extending one-quarter mile from the ordinary
high-water mark on both sides of the river. Designating Illabot Creek as
a National Wild and Scenic River will complement other local habitat protection
and salmon and trout recovery efforts that are underway in the Skagit basin.
According
to The Nature Conservancy, Illabot Creek and the surrounding area are home to
the following species: Chinook
salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Pink salmon, Sockeye salmon, Steelhead trout,
Bull trout, Cutthroat trout, Marten, Roosevelt elk, Western toad, Bald eagle,
Band-tailed pigeon, Blue grouse, Kestrel, Marbled murrelet, Northern spotted
owl, Olive-sided flycatcher, Osprey, Pacific slope flycatcher, Peregrine
falcon, Rufous hummingbird, Townsend’s warbler, Western wood peewee, and the
Willow flycatcher.
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