A view of Day Creek Conservation Area from above. 

Day Creek Conservation Area is situated within the Skagit River floodplain just north of the confluence of Day Creek and the Skagit. Day Creek provides spawning habitat for chinook, coho, chum and pink salmon at different times during their life cycles. Maintaining and improving the riparian system and managing for old growth characteristics are key goals for Day Creek. The majority of this property was added in 2008, with a new addition of 25 acres acquired in 2020, totalling 67 acres. 

Ecology

Red alder and black cottonwood dominate the forest while nettles and huckleberries make up much of the understory. Day Creek provides spawning habitat for chinook, coho, chum, and pink salmon as well as cutthroat trout, and connectivity for aquatic species to stream segments above and below the property. Other wildlife that utilize this area include bald eagles, salmon, black bears, cougars, deer, and various species of frog. 

 Side channels provide great habitat for salmonids. 

Stewardship

The stewardship goals for Day Creek Conservation Area are to restore old growth forest characteristics, eliminate non-native species, and improve riparian conditions and salmon habitat. Invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry are a concern for this site. Skagit Land Trust has also hosted several planting work parties to increase the species diversity in the forest.  Volunteers planted 100 native conifers in the winter of 2019. 

Click here to view information about the land stewards for this and other Skagit Land Trust properties.

 Volunteers gather next to Day Creek after a day of planting native trees and shrubs. 

Access

This site is open to low-impact public use for community enjoyment, however, only portion of the property is easly acessible via Warfield rd. This portion of the property is 25 acres north of the original Day Creek Conservation area on the south side of Day Creek, and along the northeast side of Warfield Rd. Please note that there is no established trail on the property. Here is a google maps link.

Please watch our event page for opportunities to visit the original portion of the property with Trust staff during workparties and tours.

Above: Skagit Land Trust now protects eight properties, totaling 361 acres and 4.6 miles of  shoreline in the Day Creek Watershed.