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Developing an Outreach Program To Create a Fish Friendly Lake Washington

Project Overview:

The UW graduate student team intends to complete three overlapping and interwoven projects:

1) Lake Washington property owner interviews to identify barriers and incentives to adopt fish friendly shoreline modifications
2) characterization of Lake Washington shoreline (using GIS and other tools)
3) characterization of shoreline regulatory framework including existing barriers and incentive programs.

What is a 'fish friendly' shoreline?
A fish friendly shoreline is one where the ecological function of the shoreline is conducive to salmon rearing and migratory behaviors. Several species of salmon including the Sockeye and the endangered Chinook use Lake Washington at different stages of their life. In order to improve the Chinooks chances of re-establishing a stable population, several steps must be taken; one of these steps is to improve the Chinook's spawning environment. Although many local rivers where Chinooks spawn have been improved, the state of their migratory pathways through the lake system is still far below optimal. By modifying shorelines, it is possible to improve the conditions for these salmon while still maintaining a landscape that does not preclude the joys (boating, swimming, dock fishing, etc) of water front property ownership. The following two sketches elegantly display the differences between traditional shoreline armoring and fish friendly shoreline construction.

The first home employee's a traditional sea wall which is deleterious to young salmon fry.

This second home employee's a fish friendly design which allows for safe passage for young salmon while still creating a beautiful landscape and an enjoyable recreation site.