Tope Ryan - Skagit Land Trust

[48.55548,-122.2892]

Property Type: Trust-Owned
Date Added: 1996

Alger
20.5 acres
Open to the Public, Featured Property

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Conservation Story

Donated in three stages in 1995, 1996, and 2020, Tope Ryan Conservation Area preserves 20 acres of open field, riparian, and forest habitat at the confluence of Swede Creek and the Samish River, including 1,700 feet of shoreline along the Samish River. Since the 1990s, the landscape on the property has changed dramatically. Beavers have engineered a dynamic wetland with riparian coverage, ponds, and natural large woody debris. The area is still a mosaic of habitat types with more wetlands and less open fields, providing food and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife. The undeveloped lands at Tope Ryan Conservation Area help to improve water quality in the Samish River.

Tope Ryan Conservation Area is within a rural area composed of homes, farms, and forestland within the Samish River floodplain. Many lands protected by Skagit Land Trust are nearby Tope Ryan Conservation Area, including Samish River – Ochs Conservation Area and Samish River – Koetje Conservation Area to the northeast and Butler Creek Conservation Area to the southwest, all of which are located in the Samish watershed.

Site History and Ecology

Previously dominated by pasture, Skagit Land Trust is restoring Tope Ryan Conservation Area into a forested wetland. Tope Ryan, located within the Samish River floodplain, provides habitat to beavers, whose channels connect Swede Creek and the Samish River. Restoration includes planting native trees and shrubs in former fields. In 2020 and 2021, over 5,000 plants were installed throughout Tope Ryan Conservation Area.

*Beavers at Tope Ryan Conservation Area. Photo taken by Keith Wiggers.*

Good salmon habitat is integral to support ecosystem functions in Skagit County. Tope Ryan Conservation Area features many key components to healthy salmon habitat including, a natural shoreline that allows for the river to move naturally, along with a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees. This vegetation provides cooling shade in the summer, helps stabilize the soil to reduce erosion, and becomes large-woody debris for the channel, creating pools and cover for fish.

Keeping the riparian area intact along the edge of the Samish River helps improve water quality in a watershed that currently has many issues. In 2009, large woody debris appeared after a flood event, improving channel complexity and increasing the quality of the habitat for salmon. Swede Creek and the surrounding floodplain provide important habitat for amphibian reproduction, as well as beavers and a variety of fish species. Red legged frog and Northwestern salamander egg masses have been located in the streams during spring amphibian surveys over the years. Beaver activity within the riparian habitat at Tope Ryan Conservation Area increases complexity and diversity within the ecosystem.

The woodland area on the northeast side of Tope Ryan Conservation Area provides protection to forest habitat for wildlife and holds water in flood events. The wooded riparian zone has a greater diversity of plant species than habitats elsewhere within the Conservation Area, including multiple ferns, mosses and lichens, native flowers, woody shrubs, and a variety of tree species.

Access

Tope Ryan Conservation Area is open to the public and a great spot for birding. There is a parking pullout with room for up to 5 cars along Gripp Road. There are no established trails, but it is easy to walk through much of the planted area. Tope Ryan Conservation Area can be very wet at times and visitors should watch out for deep channels created by beaver.

How to Get There

From Mount Vernon take the I-5 Bow Hill exit #236 and go east on Bow Hill Road, continuing along it when it turns into Prairie Road. Follow for about 3 miles. Turn right onto Grip Road. The property is the first driveway on the left, indicated by a Skagit Land Trust sign.