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Before
The Brookside Ravine Riparian
Enhancement Project is designed to improve salmonid
habitat (coho O. kisutch, and cutthroat O. clarki) in
Brookside Creek, a tributary to McAleer Creek, a
sub-basin of the Lake Washington watershed in the city of
Lake Forest Park, Washington. The project is located in a
steep ravine on private properties. The project was an
Adopt-A-Stream Foundation (AASF) project funded in part
by a King County Water Works Grant, and an Earth Corps
grant funded by NOAA/CRP.
This project compliments efforts of the Lake Forest Park
Stewardship Foundation (LFPSF), who are actively working
on improving habitat up and downstream of this site.
LFPSF has already removed one fish barrier on Brookside
Creek upstream of the project site and restored 100’
of the creek through the Community Salmon Fund.
Additional projects are planned on the creek.
The problems in this reach of Brookside ravine are
unstable slopes and subsequent erosion that has led to
invasive plant colonization. In the mid to late
1990’s several small landslides occurred in this
reach. One of the results of the landslides was a lack of
forested over-story. Without the shade of the trees,
invasive Himalayan blackberry (rubus discolor) covered
the site. Blackberry prevented new trees and shrubs from
establishing, reducing the habitat quality of the
riparian corridor for the target species, namely salmon
and their food sources. Blackberries also provide
relatively poor erosion control, increasing the chances
of more landslides.
During
The solution
is to remove the invasive blackberry, and plant the near
stream terrestrial environment with native vegetation
that will provide better erosion control. This, in
turnwill improve salmon habitat.
The project has resulted in the removal of Himalayan
blackberry and other invasive species and planting native
shrubs and trees along Brookside creek. The 215’ of
restored riparian corridor ranges from 50-200’ wide
on the east side of the stream channel.
Specifically the short-term goals of this project are
erosion control (especially in the seeps), in order to
limit fine sediment that is harmful to salmon, and the
removal of invasive vegetation. In the long term, the
project will create a riparian forest that will improve
the physical conditions favored by salmon species. These
improvements include: erosion control to limit fine
sediment, recruitment of large woody debris, shade for
cooler water temperatures, and providing habitat for
associated wildlife.
After
 Project
Gallery
Fish &
Wildlife Division
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