Diobsud Creek Watershed Protection Expands Again

July 2, 2025

The Diobsud Creek watershed is a place of renewal and persistence. Since 1997, Skagit Land Trust has been working to protect and restore the health of this vital watershed. Our latest effort, in partnership with private landowners Robert Coffey and Deborah North (pictured below), is the establishment of a conservation easement (CE) on 21 acres of lush forest and creek shoreline that provide essential habitat for native salmon.

This new CE helps protect not only the creek itself, but also the rich tapestry of life that surrounds it. The easement borders the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on two sides and connects to another nearby SLT easement. It is the latest in a long line of conservation projects the Trust has worked on in the Diobsud Creek watershed, where we have protected 117 acres and nearly 5,000 feet of shoreline and counting.

This project was made possible by funding from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), the generosity of landowners Rob and Deborah, and our members’ contributions. We are grateful for Rob & Deborah’s vision in helping us permanently protect the next piece in this conservation puzzle!

A man and woman with short white hair stand in a green field with trees behind them. Both are smiling. The man has his arm around the woman's shoulders.

A map shows the new CE and several other conserved properties around it.

History of Protections Along Diobsud Creek

Since 2002, Skagit Land Trust has completed seven projects along Diobsud Creek, including two conservation areas owned by the Trust, three partner projects and three conservation easements. Click below to read more!

In Summer of 2020, with funds from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the Trust added another 8.7 acres to the Diobsud Creek Conservation Area. This addition preserved not only the shoreline of the main channel of Diobsud Creek, but also side channels running through the property. This property is near a number of other protected lands owned by the U.S. Forest Service and Seattle City Light.

By connecting these lands, we ensure a variety of wildlife habitat remains intact. Diobsud is home to Chinook, bull trout, winter steelhead, summer steelhead, sockeye, rainbow trout, pinks, chum, and cutthroat. The area is in the WDFW management buffer for the Northern Spotted Owl. Bald eagles are also frequently spotted along Diobsud Creek, so be sure to add this expanded conservation area to your eagle viewing list the next time you drive east on Highway 2!

Diobsud Creek Watershed Protection Expands Again

History of Protections Along Diobsud Creek

Property Photos