Stillaguamish Tribe

The Stillaguamish Tribe is descended from the Stoluck-wa-mish River Tribe, who signed the treaty of Point Elliott in January 1855. Some tribal members moved to the Tulalip reservation, while others remained along the Stillaguamish River. The headquarters for the tribe are in Arlington, Washington.

Stillaguamish Area of Concern:

The Stillaguamish watershed is largely undeveloped, but population growth has put pressure on resources and salmon habitat. Continued loss and fragmentation of habitat is a primary concern, and protecting existing habitat is necessary for the survival of Chinook in the Stillaguamish. Salt marsh habitat, which provides feeding ground for outgoing juvenile Chinook, remains at 15-25% of historic conditions. Changing peak flow hydrology in the North Fork of the river, and more frequent flooding, negatively impacts survival of salmon eggs and young salmon, and the tribe is investigating how filling wetlands and sloughs may affect the flow regime.

Natural Resource Management:

• In the summer of 2012, the Stillaguamish tribe began sampling cutthroat trout in the Stillaguamish watershed, looking for residue of pharmaceuticals and household products. Some products mimic estrogen, interfering with the endocrine system of native fish. Scientists will compare fish tissue samples with water samples to see how much of what is in the water is showing up in fish.
• The tribe is also monitoring the Port Susan estuary for juvenile salmon activity. The Nature Conservancy, which is removing a dike built at the estuary years ago, contracted the tribe to monitor fish in the estuary before and after the removal. The dike removal will allow new channels to form in the estuary and reduce flooding in the area.
• A solar-powered buoy in Port Susan, deployed in April 2011, allows the tribe to monitor turbidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Information collected from the buoy will help the tribe predict what migration conditions will be like for Chinook in the Stillaguamish river.
• The tribe is also raising juvenile Chinook. In 2011, they completed a new hatchery at Brenner Creek, on the south fork of the Stillaguamish. Fall Chinook, genetically distinct from the summer run of salmon, have been suffering from population decline.

Stillaguamish Tribe
PO Box 277
Arlington,WA 98223
Phone: (360) 652-7362
Fax: (360) 435-7689

Chairperson: Shawn Yanity
Fisheries Contact: Shawn Yanity; Assistant Fisheries Manager Jeff Tatro
Homepage: Stillaguamish Tribe

source: NWIFC