Salmon Need Water

08/11/2025

Learn about the Chinook salmon returning to Whatcom Creek this season!

More than 7,000 Chinook salmon are expected to return to Whatcom Creek in downtown Bellingham this season thanks to an ongoing collaboration between Bellingham Technical College: Fisheries & Aquaculture (BTC), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (Northwest Treaty Tribes), and the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe.

Learn more in our news release: wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/news-release/record-return-hatchery-chinook-salmon-expected-whatcom-creek

“We’re forecasting the largest return of Chinook on record back to Whatcom Creek over the next two months and are thrilled by how successful this partnership has been,” said Edward Eleazer, WDFW’s North Puget Sound Region Fish Program manager.

“These hatchery salmon provide prey for Southern Resident killer whales in important foraging areas, support recreational salmon fisheries in marine areas and lower Whatcom Creek as well as tribal treaty and youth fisheries, and help train the next generation of fisheries professionals at BTC — it’s a win-win-win,” said Eleazer.

Chinook begin arriving at the mouth of Whatcom Creek in mid-August and will continue returning into October. The state-managed salmon fishery in lower Whatcom Creek is open Saturdays and Sundays only through Sept. 14. Fishing is closed Monday through Friday; check the regulations or Fish Washington mobile app for details.

08/08/2025

07/31/2025

The Nooksack River is more than water — it’s a lifeline for salmon, farmers, and our communities.

Healthy river flows keep salmon runs strong, nourish farmlands, and sustain our shared future.

Protecting the river means protecting all of us. ✨🐟💧

| salmonneedwater.org

07/07/2025

An eagle enjoying the morning sun at Nugents Corner. Eagles depend on our salmon runs for their livelihood.

06/20/2025

“The river has great wisdom and whispers its secrets to the hearts of men.” - Mark Twain

06/16/2025

What’s your favorite area of the Nooksack River? Tell us in the comments. 🏞️

06/12/2025

An eagle overlooks the beautiful Nooksack River in Everson.

04/22/2025

The Nooksack is a beauty, on Earth Day and every other day. 🌎 And deserves our protection for future generations to come. What will you do today to make a difference?

04/19/2025

What are your goals for this upcoming Earth Day? 🌎

03/24/2025

"In Whatcom County, the Nooksack Tribe’s Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group worked on a barrier downstream of a state I-5 project in the Silver Creek watershed. The Lummi Nation is partnering with BNSF to address the lowest barrier in the watershed, and the city of Bellingham is expanding fish passage projects along Padden Creek and Squalicum Creek.

“The WSDOT I-5 projects are the most expensive projects in the watershed and, without them taking the lead, it is unlikely that these other projects would be moving forward,” The Nooksack Tribal Council and Nooksack Natural Resources wrote in a statement.

Like the Tulalip Tribes, the Nooksack Tribe and Lummi Nation have applied for passage restoration funding to support their partners’ work under various jurisdictions."

Court-ordered projects have sparked collaboration for salmon habitat restoration

03/20/2025

Today is the first day of Spring and a new beginning! Ham7í is the Lhéchelesem word (Nooksack Tribal language) for Beginning. We hope this new beginning is fruitful for our beautiful ancestral lands from the tops of Mount Baker to the Salish Sea and beyond. If you would like to hear the word said, you can visit the Tribe's website: nooksacktribe.org/word/ham7i-beginning/

03/18/2025

Did you know? The Department of Ecology and Whatcom County provides updates and monthly webinars about the adjudication of WRIA-1. You can learn more at this website.

The adjudication court claim form has not been mailed yet. The Department of Ecology will notify all water users involved by certified mail. The mailing is anticipated to occur in March 2025 at the earliest.