Salmon Populations
Squalicum Creek is a tributary to Bellingham Bay and supports four reproducing populations of salmonids:

• Chum salmon
• Coho salmon
• Cutthroat trout
• Steelhead trout

Reason for Restoration
As a result of historic shoreline development, the mouth of Squalicum Creek has been relocated and confined between two concrete box culvert bridges in a heavily armored channel with a concrete bottom that creates jump, depth, and velocity barriers to fish passage. Restoring the mouth of Squalicum Creek and its associated estuary habitats was identified as a priority restoration project through the landscape-level planning efforts of the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot Project.

Restoration Efforts
To date, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has removed a 15,500-square-foot derelict pier and 680 creosote piles from areas adjacent to the existing delta. In 2011, a major habitat restoration project will:

• Re-establish a natural stream bed to eliminate the fish passage barrier between the estuary and the Squalicum Creek watershed
• Relocate the existing city sewer main under the concrete channel bottom
• Remove the existing concrete channel bottom
• Replace the two existing concrete box culvert bridges