Lower Sauk River Floodplain Historic Photo Analysis

The Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) provides natural resource management services for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. On behalf of these two sovereign nations, SRSC works to actively improve fisheries management within their usual and accustomed fishing areas. The SRSC cooperated with the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service to analyze the historic patterns and sites of erosion and river channel migration in portions of the Sauk and Skagit rivers.

The Lower Sauk River was mapped using historic aerial photographs that were georeferenced to existing orthophotos. All visible river channels (mainstem and side channels), as well as other features including gravel bars, partially vegetated gravel bars, and forested islands were digitized and incorporated into the maps. River channel changes can be seen from 1944 to 2006. This project is part of a larger planning effort to evaluate flood and erosion hazards along with salmon habitat conditions that is being implemented in phases by multiple agencies in Snohomish and Skagit counties.

Courtesy of Skagit River System Cooperative.