Water flows down the river. Original public domain image from Flickr
Human alterations to the river channel and its surrounding hillsides have reduced the number of habitat types that salmon need for spawning (reproducing), feeding, and escaping predators. Gravel of a specific size are needed for spawning and survival of the eggs and during the alevin phase of life.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington State works with Tribes and other salmon recovery partners to restore salmon habitat in the South Fork Nooksack River (Whatcom County, WA). NRCS has contributed just short of $1 M to instream habitat improvements in the South Fork Nooksack in the last 10 years. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.