Revitalizing and Preserving Whatcom County Marine Resources for Future Generations
The Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) was established by the County Council in 1999 to protect and enhance the local marine environment and contribute to the protection of the marine environment of the Northwest Straits. The Whatcom MRC is one of seven MRCs established in the Northwest Straits region as part of the federal Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative.
MRC meetings are held the first Thursday of the month from 6 to 8 pm at Whatcom County Civic Center, 322 N. Commercial Street, Bellingham, Garden Level Conference Room. Meetings are open to the public.
***Please visit our new website at www.mrc.whatcomcounty.org for updated information***
April 5 MRC Agenda
Next MRC Work Session: Tuesday, April 17, 5:30 pm
Garden Level Conference Room, Civic Center Annex
You're Invited - Public Speaker Series Event!
Invasive Species in the Lake Whatcom Watershed
Saturday, April 21, 10 am
Sudden Valley Community Center, 8 Barn View Rd.
Laurel Baldwin, Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board Coordinator
Teagan Ward, City of Bellingham Environmental Resources Assistant
Chuckanut Village Marsh Fish Monitoring
The Whatcom MRC has looked at fish usage of the tidal creek draining the Chuckanut Village Marsh for 3 years. The first year of monitoring was done prior to a restoration project that replaced a partial fish passage barrier. 2012 marks year 2 of post-restoration monitoring. In both 2011 and so far this year, juvenile salmon have been found above the replaced culvert, presumably using the tidal creek for foraging or refuge.
Voluntees are needed to help assess the number and species of fish using both the tidal creek draining the Chuckanut Village Marsh, as well as the nearshore area adjacent to the creek. Meet at the Mud Bay public access at the end of Fairhaven Avenue. More information on the restoration project at Chuckanut Village Marsh can be found here. The schedule for monitoring can be found in the table below. For more information on volunteering with this project, please email or call 360-676-6867 ext. 50259.
| Date (all Thursdays) | Tide | Meet on Site | Beach Seine |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 15 | +8.1 | 9:15 am | 9:30 am |
| March 29 | +7.0 | 8:30 am | 8:45 am |
| April 12 | +7.6 | 8:30 am | 8:45 am |
| April 26 | +6.7 | 8:30 am | 8:45 am |
| May 10 | +7.3 | 8:00 am | 8:15 am |
| May 24 | +6.8 | 8:00 am | 8:15 am |
| June 7 | +7.7 | 7:30 am | 7:45 am |
| June 21 | +7.0 | 7:30 am | 7:45 am |
Public Speaker Series Event: Citizen Science
Thursday, April 5
5:30 pm
Civic Center Annex, Garden Level Conference Room
322 N. Commercial St., Bellingham
5:30 pm
Civic Center Annex, Garden Level Conference Room
322 N. Commercial St., Bellingham
Please join us as we welcome Kate LItle, Citizen Science Specialist with WA Sea Grant as she describes what citizen science is and how the data collected are used. Local and regional opportunities for citizens to get involved with scientific monitoring will be explored. The Whatcom MRC is currently developing a proposal to provide these sorts of opportunities to the community, so come prepared to learn how to become involved!
Cliffside Beach Creosote Log Clean-Up
3.35 tons of creosote and treated-timber wood debris was removed from Cliffside Beach on December 20, 2012. In partnership with the City of Bellingham and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), crews removed the toxic wood by hand using log tongs and peevies. This year marks the 10th year of cresosote clean-ups in Whatcom County, which includes removal of derelict structures and pilings that could otherwise continue to be sources of logs to the nearshore environment. Click here for more information on MRC sponsored clean-ups. Information on DNR's Creosote Log Removal Program can be found here.
Coastal Outreach Project Completed
The MRC, in contract with Coastal Geologic Services, Inc., recently completed an outreach project focused on coastal property owners interested in restoration or conservation of their coastal property. The target audience for a series of surveys and educational workshops included property owners whose property bordered forage fish spawning habitat or feeder bluffs. Coastal property owners constitute one of the greatest constraints to nearshore restoration in the area, as the Whatcom County coastline is approximately 95% private ownership. A final report highlighting database development, survey development and results, workshop evaluations, and next step recommendations is available here.
