Photo of the Month

Trevor Swanson boats out of Swinomish Channel to collect water samples around shellfish beds in Padilla, Samish and Chuckanut Bay.

This sunny photo was taken on our recent outing with Trevor Swanson from the Washington State Department of Health! Swanson takes water samples from over 30 sites near shellfish beds in Padilla, Samish and Chuckanut Bay. The data Swanson collects is evaluated annually to determine if the water is clean enough to allow shellfish harvest.

When the surrounding water is high in fecal bacteria, shellfish becomes dangerous to eat and shellfish harvesting has to be put on hold. This affects shellfish growers, those who love to eat shellfish and the local economy. Polluted water also affects the health of the surrounding environment, including seals, fish and even orcas.

While the Department of Health tests water quality in the bays, Skagit County takes samples at over 40 locations along rivers, streams and sloughs in the County. Between samples from our bays and waterways, we are able to better understand what is polluting our water, where it is coming from and what we can do to fix it.

Leanne Ingman, our Natural Resources Technician here at Skagit County, goes out on weekly freshwater sampling runs, rain or shine, for our ambient water quality monitoring program. This program helps us pinpoint where water pollution may be coming from. Thanks, Leanne!

Water Quality Results in Review

April came in like a lion and out like a lamb! Most of the month has been a chilly one, with a warm stretch at the end of the month giving us a taste of summer. The average daily temperature at the Mount Vernon AgWeatherNet station in April was 47.2°F, which is about 0.6°F below average. Total precipitation for April was 1.69 inches, which is approximately 0.22 inches above average. Multiple storms passed through the area in April, but only one caused a quick enough rise in the Samish River to result in a closure for the commercial shellfish growing area. The shellfish growing area was immediately reopened after samples confirmed that the river water was clean.

Our ambient sampling generally revealed low bacterial levels throughout the county. The combination of cold conditions and low amounts of runoff this month contributed to the low counts. Exceptions to this pattern were No Name Slough and Little Indian Slough, which showed high levels of bacteria. We, along with other agencies, are conducting investigations into the sources of pollution in the Padilla Bay watershed and hope to see improvements in the future.

More details on this month’s sampling results can be found on our Water Quality Results Map.

April's water quality results. Red dots represent sites with high levels of fecal bacteria, yellow represents sites with moderate levels of fecal bacteira and green dots represent sites with low fecal bacteria levels. Click on the map to go to the online water quality map, where you can explore sites in Skagit, Whatcom and Snohomish Counties.

Home Tip of the Month

Everyone knows the saying— April showers bring May... weeds? Hm, that doesn't seem quite right... If you're looking to have a weed free spring, laying mulch is an easy and inexpensive way to keep your soil clear of uninvited plants. It also has benefits for nearly every aspect of your garden! "Mulch" refers to any material used to cover the surface of your soil. Many different substances, from compost and woodchips to gravel and plastic sheeting, are used as mulch. Depending on the type you use, mulch can provide nutrients, improve soil structure, regulate temperature, hold moisture and more! With dozens of options, all with different uses and properties, deciding what mulch to use can be hard. Luckily, WSU has a fantastic Guide to Mulches that goes over 18 types of mulch and how each should be used. The guide also explains proper mulch application for both warm and cold season mulches. Looking for mulch on the cheap? If you're mulching around trees and shrubs, wood chips are a great option that you can often get for free! Sign up for ChipDrop to get on the list for free wood chips delivered to your home! The chips come from local arborists and are a byproduct of felled trees. Using these chips is a great way to give that wood a second life while improving your yard or garden! Take a look at WSU's Master Gardener article on wood chip mulch to learn more about its uses and benefits.

Farm Tip of the Month Animals are getting back out in the pastures and they are hungry! How can you stop your pastures from getting overgrazed while keeping them healthy and productive for the whole season? Rotational grazing is a popular and easy option that is good for your animals and your pasture! Rotational grazing is when you take a pasture and break it into sections using fencing. You allow animals to graze one section at a time, giving the other sections a chance to rest and regrow in between. Grass that is not overgrazed and is allowed to rest grows faster and healthier. Here are some tips for successful pasture rotation: Wait until the grass in your first pasture has reached 6 to 8 inches before you start grazing. Rotate your animals to the next pasture when they have grazed the grass down to 3 inches. Once you have rotated your animals through all available pastures, wait until the first section has grown back up to 6 to 8 inches before you let them graze there again. Keep them in a confinement area until the grass has reached the proper length (Check out the farm section of our past newsletter to learn why maintaining grass length is so important). Allow each section to rest at least 30 days before grazing it again. Grazing on healthy pastures keeps your animals healthy, too! Overgrazed pastures lead to more mud and more weeds, some of which can kill livestock. Grazing on grass that is too close to the ground can also expose your animals to parasites and pathogens in the dirt. Want to see how rotational grazing works for yourself? Join Skagit Conservation District's first pasture walk of the season! The pasture walk will include a tour of pastures that have been used for rotational cow grazing. The pasture walk series will include two more pasture tours later this summer focusing on topics like soil health and toxic plants. Learn more and register for free here! You can also check out Skagit Conservation District's Farming Resources page to learn more about pasture health and confinement areas, as well as more farming tips and knowledge!

Noxious Weed of the Month

It's big, it's bad, it's giant hogweed! Our noxious weed of the month, which is also known as giant cow parsley, is known for its dangerous sap. This sap sensitizes the skin to sunlight and can lead to burns and blisters that can leave scars. It also outcompetes native plants. When natives die off, there are less roots in the ground, which means more erosion and more dirt in the water. Here's what you need to know about giant hogweed so you can protect yourself and our environment: Description: Giant hogweed is just like it sounds— giant! It can grow 15 to 20 feet tall and has leaves up to 5 feet wide and flowers up to 2.5 feet across. Its leaves are deeply lobed a have sharply toothed edge. It has large, flat clusters of small white flowers. Its stem is hairy and has purple blotches. Giant hogweed is often confused with cow parsnip. Cow parsnip is native to Washington, but has similarly dangerous sap. Cow parsnip is shorter than giant hogweed, only growing 5 to 8 feet tall, with smaller flowers and less intensely lobed leaves. Toxicity: Giant hogweed's clear, watery sap can cause serious burns when skin that has come in contact with it is exposed to sunlight. The sap can also cause irritation and temporary or permanent blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes. Control: Always wear gloves and protective clothing when working with giant hogweed. It is important to control it before it goes to seed. Seedlings can be hand pulled or dug up. Larger plants can be cut back and then dug up. Use loppers when cutting the plant to avoid contact with the sap. If you are cutting the plant, consider wearing safety goggles or glasses to protect your eyes from the sap. If you are experiencing a larger infestation, please reach out to our Noxious Weed Coordinator Madelyn Loy at (360) 416-1467 or mloy@co.skagit.wa.us to discuss eradication options and support. Please also reach out if you know of an uncontrolled patch that is not on your property. Learn more about identifying and controlling giant hogweed from the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

Program News We've been working on all kinds of things here at Skagit County Public Works! Our stormwater team has developed a draft of the 2023 Stormwater Management Program Plan. This plan outlines the actions the county is proposing to take to manage stormwater. The draft is open for public comment until May 12th. Find the draft and more info on how to comment on it here. Other recently released documents include the Skagit County Public Works 2022 Annual Report and the Pollution Identification and Correction 2022 Annual Report. The Skagit County Public Works report goes over Public Works' activities and projects from 2022, as well as their costs. The Pollution Identification and Correction report covers the purpose, actions and progress of the County's Pollution Identification and Correction Program.

Events and Classes

Big Lake residents, visit us at Big Lake Bar & Grill, May 6, 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM: Come see the WSU Shore Stewards and us at Big Lake Bar & Grill to learn about keeping Big Lake clean and to sign up for your FREE lawn soil sample! Soil samples available to Big Lake residents only.

Check out the Skagit Master Gardener's Plant Fair, May 13, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM: This plant fair features high quality, locally grown garden plants for sale, including over 40 tomato varieties! There will also be short gardening talks. The fair is at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, and admission and parking are both free! Learn more here.

Come see us at local breweries! May 20 and June 9: This spring and summer, come meet Skagit County Clean Water and Skagit Conservation District at Farmstrong Brewing and Terramar Brewstillery to learn about programs that will benefit your farm AND local waterways. We'll be at Terramar on May 20 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM and at Farmstrong on June 9 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Search for wild edible and medicinal plants at Padilla Bay, May 20, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Join a naturalist at Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to find and identify edible and medicinal plants. Learn more and sign up for this FREE event here.

Skagit Land Trust Upriver Community Meeting, May 24, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM: Learn about Skagit Land Trust— what they do, their publicly accessible properties and their volunteer events— at this community meeting. The meeting will be held in the Concrete High School Commons and light refreshments will be provided. Learn more here.

Learn how to identify European green crabs, June 8, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM: Join this FREE workshop to learn how to identify European green crab molts so you can help monitor beaches for this invasive species. The workshop will go over molt identification, how to conduct a survey and how to report molt findings. Learn more and sign up here.

Enjoy Bark in the Park 2023 in Anacortes, June 10, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM: Come to Storvik Park in Anacortes for an event centered around some of our favorite furry friends: dogs! The event will feature a silly dog contest, dog demos, adoptions and more. Plus, we'll be there with free dog poop bags and some very goofy stickers! Learn about the event here.

Join Skagit Conservation District's Pasture Walk series! June 6 and 20, July 11, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM: Come along for this summer's FREE pasture walk series! These three walks are an opportunity to see how other farmers and ranchers manage their pastures. Each will focus on relevant topics like rotational grazing, soil health, manure management and toxic plants. Learn more and sign up for your spot here!

Volunteer Opportunities 

Join a work party at Samish Miles, May 6, 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM: Join Skagit Land Trust at Samish Miles Conservation Area to clear out an old building for better use. The property is not open to the public, so this is a great opportunity to check it out! Learn more and sign up here.

Remove invasives at Barney Lake, May 19, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM: Help Skagit Land Trust remove harmful invasive plants at Barney Lake Conservation Area. The work party will focus on removing Himalayan blackberry, English ivy and yellow archangel. Learn more and sign up here.

Build trails at Barr Creek, May 26, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM: Help Skagit Land Trust build and maintain trails at Barr Creek Conservation Area! Learn more and sign up here.

Celebrate National Trails Day at Guemes Mountain, June 3, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM: Join Skagit Land Trust as they spruce up trails at Guemes Mountain & Valley Conservation Area. No prior trail experience needed! Learn more and sign up here.

Get your hands dirty at Muddy Creek, June 9, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM: Help Skagit Land Trust remove invasive species from a restoration site at Muddy Creek Conservation Area. Learn more and sign up here.

Contact Us

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For questions or more details, please contact Karen DuBose at kdubose@co.skagit.wa.us or 360-416-1460.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC01J18001-0 to the Washington Department of Health. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.