New Side Channels to Aid Salmon in the Sultan 

Helping salmon is an everyday job at the PUD. It’s just one aspect of the work our team of fish and wildlife biologists do to preserve and enhance valuable habitats such as old-growth forests, local streams and wetlands throughout our service area.

This summer, the PUD worked to complete a million-dollar side channel project that will aid juvenile salmon in the Sultan River for years to come. Working under an extremely tight timeline for “in-water” work, the PUD’s Natural Resources staff got to work in mid-July, creating a new side channel through the excavation of over 7,000 cubic yards of materials, the transport of that material out of the floodplain, the creation of engineered log jams and the strategic placement of woody debris and boulders to create ideal rearing habitat for young salmon during the period they reside in freshwater.

“At Jackson, we look at the river like it is our backyard and do all we can to care for the fish when they are in our neighborhood,” said Keith Binkley, PUD Manager of Natural Resources.

Construction of the side channels was funded by a grant from Department of Ecology and finished up at the end of August, just in time for the annual fall return of salmon. Planting of the stream banks will begin later this fall to coincide with increases in rainfall.

The new 1,900 feet of side channel adds to the already existing 11,700 feet of side channel habitat either created or enhanced since 2012 as part of the PUD’s Jackson Hydro Project license obligations. It also adds to our most prominent side channel that traverses the city of Sultan’s Osprey Park before crossing land owned by the Volunteers of America as well as private property.

“This project wouldn’t have occurred without the collaborative working relationships we have in place with these entities,” said Binkley.

The new side channels will provide fish space for much-needed rest, especially in the spring when out-migrating salmon will use the safe waters to bulk up for their soon-to-be long journey.