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Photo of the Month
 Anna Thomas, Education and Outreach Specialist for Skagit County Natural Resources, reads a book as a special guest at Mount Vernon Library Common's story time.
July was Lakes Appreciation Month, and we got to celebrate lakes with our friends at Upper Skagit Library, Mount Vernon Library Commons, Anacortes Public Library, and Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (Friends of the ACFL)!
Our local lakes provide all kinds of important resources. They give us fresh water to play in, boat in, and fish in. They provide habitat for many of our native plants and animals. They feed into our many rivers and streams, and eventually our marine bays.
But lakes need our help to continue to provide all these important services. That's why we worked with our partners last month to put on events that celebrate lakes, and educate people about them, too!
We were honored to be invited to help with some lake-focused story times at Mount Vernon Library Commons. One story time even took place right on the shore of Clear Lake! We brought microscopes along to give families a closer look at the bugs and plants our lakes support.
At Upper Skagit Library, we conducted a lake pollution simulation using ooblec (slime made from cornstarch and water). This was part of Upper Skagit Library's summer Mess Makers series. Parents and kids learned how pollution like fertilizer and poop can fuel algae blooms in lakes.
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The Friends of the ACFL helped us put on a drop-in resource fair at Anacortes Public Library. They brought stream bugs and magnifying glasses to show visitors the many diverse species that rely on our lakes and freshwater systems. We brought the tools we use to sample water for testing, along with plenty of resources to help fellow lake lovers protect our water. The Friends of the ACFL also hosted some of their July community hikes at local lakes!
Did you miss out on the fun this year? Keep an eye out for Libraries Love Lakes activities next July!
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Summer is in full swing, and we hope you’ve been enjoying the long days and sunshine! July brought similar weather to what we saw in June. At the Mount Vernon WSU AgWeatherNet station, the average maximum temperature in July was 75.1°F, which is about 2°F warmer than usual. Rain was scarce, with only 0.05” falling over the whole month, which is about a half inch lower than average.
Stream and river flows across Skagit County are feeling the impact. According to USGS Water Watch, flows are significantly lower than normal. Early snowmelt and the lack of late-spring storms have contributed to these dry conditions. Low flows can concentrate pollutants, reduce habitat for fish and other aquatic life, and decrease the amount of water available for agriculture and other human uses too. That’s why it’s important to reduce sources of pollution year-round, especially when there’s less water to dilute what does enter our waterways.
Everyday actions make a difference. Picking up pet waste, minimizing fertilizer use, and fixing vehicle leaks are all simple ways to help protect local water quality—especially during dry summer months when streams are vulnerable.
Our routine bacteria monitoring found several hotspots in the north side of the county this month, including upper Thomas Creek, the South Edison Drainage, lower Coal Creek, Swede Creek, Colony Creek, and Big Indian Slough.
Curious about water quality near you? Explore our interactive Water Quality Map to see the latest bacteria results and learn how local streams are doing.
 July water quality results. Red dots represent sites with high levels of fecal bacteria, yellow represents sites with moderate levels of fecal bacteria 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.
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Home Tip of the Month
If you have a dog, you need to know: A clean home starts with a well scooped yard!
Dog poop can carry dangerous bacteria like giardia and E. coli. It can even be full of parasites like tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms.
These bacteria and parasites can make dogs AND people sick. And if they're in your yard, they're probably in your home, too.
Even if it looks like rain has "washed away" dog poop in your yard, or it has broken down, the bacteria remains.
Giardia and E. coli can live for many months in soil. According to the CDC, roundworm and hookworm eggs can even survive for years.
Your pets— and your family members— can very easily pick up these germs and worm eggs on their paws and shoes. From there, they can track them across all surfaces of your home, where they can make humans and animals alike sick.
The problem doesn't stop in your yard, though. All the poop that "washes away" in the rain actually washes into the closest waterway. Even if you don't live near water, the bacteria and parasites in the poop will eventually make its way into the water we fish, swim, boat, and grow shellfish in.
Luckily, the fix is easy. Scooping poop in your yard at least once a week helps keep your yard, house, and water clean. Scooping poop and throwing it away in the trash means healthy pets, people, and wildlife!
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 The U.S. Drought Monitor map of Washington shows that Skagit County is experiencing moderate drought in the west, severe drought in the central area, and extreme drought in the east. Most of the rest of Washington is also experiencing some level of drought.
Skagit County is in a drought, and your pastures feel it!
Drought can be hard on grass and soil, but there are things you can do to help your pastures. Here are some tips:
Take animals off your pastures.
During drought, grass growth stalls, putting pastures at risk for overgrazing. Overgrazing is when livestock eat the pasture grass below the bottom 3 inches, damaging the plants power source for regrowth. This not only reduces feed availability but increases weed’s ability to thrive. To protect your pastures move your animals to a sacrifice pasture or heavy use area— an area where animals can stay and be fed until pastures are ready to be grazed again.
Mow and mulch.
Part of good pasture care is mowing to make sure your grass stays between 4 and 6 inches tall and to knock back weeds.
When you mow, you can also "mulch" your pasture by leaving behind the grass cuttings. Leaving behind grass cuttings after mowing adds nutrients to your soil as the grass breaks down. The organic matter also helps your soil retain more moisture.
Use low- or no-till methods.
Tilling your field opens up your soil and can make it dry out faster— NOT what you want in a drought! Tilling your field can also mean less organic matter (plant parts) in your soil. Plant parts are good for your soil because it adds nutrients and helps hold in moisture. If needing to replant in a pasture, consider low-till or no-till methods for seeding.
Tip: Skagit Conservation District has a no-till seeding drill available for rent for Skagit residents!
Plant cover crops.
Having plants in the ground during seasons where the soil would otherwise be bare is a good way of keeping organic matter in the mix. Using legumes as a cover crop can even increase nitrogen in your soil!
The roots of cover crops also help strengthen the soil and reduce erosion.
Tip: Skagit Conservation District has a cover crop program to help cover the cost of cover crop seeds!
Taking these steps will help your pasture now and later. Recognizing your pastures needs now helps to reduce bare patches, mud, and harmful weeds, and above all, helps your pasture grasses thrive.
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The bad news: Common tansy, our noxious weed of the month, is growing strong now that it's mid-summer.
The good news: Now is a great time to identify and control it!
Common tansy is poisonous to people and livestock. It grows throughout pastures, roadsides, and riverbanks in Washington. It may be called "common," but it has a skill for pushing out native plant species and reducing habitat.
Common tansy is a Class B non-designate weed here in Skagit, meaning control is optional. Other counties, however, may require that residents control common tansy on their property. Whatcom is one of these counties.
Here's what to look out for and how to deal with common tansy if you find it:
Description: Common tansy has yellow flowers that are between 1/4 to 1/2 inch across. These flowers are round and flat, like a disc or button. Common tansy flowers don't have any petals. They grow in clusters at the top of stems.
Common tansy grows to between and 1 and 5 feet tall. Its stems range from green to reddish-brown. Leaves grow right out of the stem, switching from side to side up the stalk.
The leaves have deep "cuts" in them that make them look like ferns. The smaller sections of the leaves have jagged, toothy edges.
When common tansy goes to seed, the yellow flowers and the rest of the plant turn brown.
Toxicity: Common tansy is poisonous to both people and livestock. Eating tansy could cause liver and brain damage, miscarriage in pregnant people, and even death. Its sap may also irritate skin.
Control: The best way to control common tansy is to stop it from spreading. Make sure to clean off clothes and shoes when you leave a place where tansy grows.
If you already have common tansy growing on your property, you can pull it or dig it up. Just make sure you wear gloves! You can also mow plants down before they flower or go to seed.
Make sure to keep an eye on areas where you have taken out common tansy. You should also plant native plants in their place. This will help stop the tansy from coming back up.
For more information or for help identifying and controlling common tansy, including by using herbicide, please reach out to our Noxious Weed Coordinator, Evan Emrick, at (360) 707-1502 evane@co.skagit.wa.us.
Learn more about how to identify common tansy from the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
Photos courtesy of the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
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Program News
If you've seen us standing around, looking at our phones on the side of the road, you may have caught us checking out assets. Stormwater assets, that is!
We are mapping our stormwater infrastructure around the county and checking up on what needs maintenance.
Stormwater infrastructure includes things like storm drains, catch basins, ditches, and culverts. All of these things help prevent flooding by transporting water from our streets into nearby waterways.
Keeping tabs on this infrastructure helps us know what needs to be fixed, and when. Knowing exactly where the different pieces of our stormwater system connect also helps us know how to respond to spills.
So if you see us, say hi, and please drive carefully as you pass us!
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Classes and Events
Learn about noxious weeds at the Skagit County Fair! August 7 - 10: Think you've got an invasive weed on your hands? Come visit our noxious weed booth at the Skagit County Fair this weekend! Our resident experts can give you great tips on how to deal with weeds on your property.
Hike Anacortes with Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, August 9, 16, and 20: Join the Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands in the woods for a variety of hikes and walks of all levels!
Discover Pass Free Day, August 9, State Parks: To celebrate Smokey Bear's birthday, visitors will not need a Discover Pass to park a vehicle at a Washington state park or on lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on August 9.
All Ages Beach Seining at Padilla Bay, August 13: Ever wonder what's swimming beneath Padilla Bay's waves? Help Padilla Bay staff pull a seine net through the eelgrass and learn about the fishes in the estuary. No need to register. Just join the fun at the Bay View State Park beach.
Fidalgo Bay Day, September 13, 2025, 11 AM to 3 PM: Join the Skagit Marine Resources Committee and friends for a FREE, fun, family outing at Fidalgo Bay Day! Similar to previous years, event activities will likely include: a beach seining demonstration, a touch tank aquarium, kid friendly craft activities, face painting, interactive discovery passport stations with prizes, complimentary samples of seafood, and a traditional Coast Salish no-host Salmon BBQ lunch.
Wild and Scenic Film Festival, October 9, 6 PM to 9 PM: The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group is excited to bring the Wild & Scenic Film Festival back to the Historic Lincoln Theater. The films to be shown capture the spirit of varying environmental movements across the globe and the relationship that they have to humanity and that humanity has to them.
Volunteer Opportunities
Bowman Bay Stewardship Days, August 13, 10 AM to 12 PM: Join the Northwest Straits Foundation and Skagit County Marine Resources Committee in another season stewarding the beautiful Bowman Bay! Volunteers will spend the morning nurturing the site and native plants with activities such as weeding, watering, and spreading compost and mulch.
Restoration work with Skagit Land Trust, August 15, September 20: Help our friends at Skagit Land Trust restore our environment through plantings and invasive species removal!
Fidalgo Bay Day, September 13, 2025, 11 AM to 3 PM: Skagit Marine Resources Committee is seeking volunteers for this year's Fidalgo Bay Day! The purpose of this free event is to increase public awareness of the marine environment and foster environmental stewardship. Register online for one of a variety of roles!
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Contact Us
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.
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