Rain or snow, Skagit County water quality sampling is always a-go! These photos were taken by our water quality team, Emma Santana and Leanne Ingman, on their very chilly sampling route this week.

Every week, our water quality team goes around the County to sample waterways for water quality indicators like bacteria, temperature, oxygen, and clarity. When our sampling reveals pollution in the water, we can find the source and fix it.

To give us a good understanding of water quality changes, we do this sampling year-round.

"Our water quality data is only as accurate as the conditions we sample in," said Emma. "Without sampling in harsh conditions, we risk missing some natural extremes."

Clean water is important for everyone. It means safe recreation in the outdoors, like fishing, swimming, and boating. It helps out our economy by providing safe water for growing crops and shellfish. It creates important habitat for fish and many other animals.

Our sampling program, along with other local organizations' sampling, helps us protect this important resource so we can keep using it for generations.

Read more about current water health in Skagit County in the section below!

1. Find what fits.

A major benefit of native plants is that they are adapted to our local climate. However, every plant still has its preferences. Take a close look at your yard. Where is there shade or sun? Where is the ground drier or damper? Keep these things in mind as you plan your perfect garden.

Tip: Check out Skagit Conservation District's Native Plant Page or our Native Plants List to learn more about what conditions certain plants will do best in!

Farm Tip of the Month

Move over Valentine's Day— it's time for Fencing February!

Fields don't need cards or gifts of chocolates. The best way to your pasture's heart? Fencing!

Right now, while your animals are (or should be) off of your pastures, is a great time to straighten that leaning panel, fix that broken rail, or stabilize that wobbly post. Set your fencing up for success now to avoid bigger problems later.

Now is also a good time to start planning and setting up a rotational grazing system.

Rotational grazing is beneficial to your animals and your pastures. Rotational grazing means dividing your pasture into sections using fencing and letting animals graze one section at a time. This way, pastures are evenly grazed, but not overgrazed, and each section has a chance to rest and regrow.

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.
• Try to divide pastures to allow each section to rest at least 30 days before grazing it again. Temporary fencing is a great way to trial run pasture sizes. 
• Use this pasture stocking calculator to determine how many acres you'll need for each animal.
• Once you have rotated your animals through all available pastures, rotate back to the first pasture. If the grass has not grown back to 6 to 8 inches, feed animals in a confinement area until the grass has reached the proper height. 

Visit Skagit Conservation District's Farming Resources page and WSU's Pasture Grazing Management page to learn more about pasture health and confinement areas, as well as more farming tips and knowledge! Also, check out Tractor Supply's Ultimate Guide to Farm Fencing.

Whatever your sweetheart wants this Valentine's Day, this jewel is NOT on the list.

Spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), also known as spotted touch-me-not, is an invasive plant that will break your (garden's) heart. It spreads quickly in a dense mat, suffocating other plants, whether they're in your garden or out in fragile nearby ecosystems.

Description: Spotted jewelweed grows 2 to 5 feet tall in dense mats. It has green or red stems that stand upright and sometimes split into multiple branches. Its leaves are round or egg shaped and have scalloped edges. Leaves grow opposite from each other across the stem.

Spotted jewelweed flowers are bright orange with tiny red spots. They are about 1 inch in size and are shaped like a trumpet with rounded petals at the end— the top petals look like a hood over the lower two.

Please note that spotted jewelweed looks very similar to several native Impatiens species. 

Toxicity: Spotted jewelweed can irritate your digestive tract.

Control: You can pull spotted jewelweed by hand. Make sure to remove all of the roots from the soil. If there are no seedpods on the plant, you can leave the plants to dry in the sun. If there are seed pods, throw the plants away in a garbage bag.

Please take care that you are not harming native Impatiens species when controlling spotted jewelweed.

Please visit the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board's page on spotted jewelweed for more information on identifying and controlling this invasive plant.

Photos courtesy of the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

Program News

Skagit County is hiring Noxious Weed Aides for the summer of 2025!

Weed aides assist the Skagit County Noxious Weed Board in controlling invasive knotweed and spartina species that threaten our riparian and shoreline habitats. This position is responsible for controlling these invasive species using Integrated Pest Management Strategies including the use of herbicide. This position will also gain experience collecting and handling data.

Pay for this position starts at $21.06/ hour. Work typically starts in June. Learn more and apply online.