Cumberland Creek - Skagit Land Trust

[48.5174,-122.0044]

Property Type: Trust-Owned
Date Added: 2005

Cumberland Creek
202.5 acres
Open to the Public, Featured Property
Fishing
Hiking & Walking

Get Directions

Conservation Story

Skagit Land Trust’s (SLT) Cumberland Creek Conservation Area protects over 200 acres of vital habitat and floodplain forest along the Skagit River, providing habitat for elk, birds, salmon and more. The Cumberland Creek Conservation Area was protected with financial assistance from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board, coordinated by the Skagit Watershed Council. SLT bought 25 acres in December 2005, followed by the addition of 143 acres in March 2006, 27 acres in November 2006, and an additional 15 acres in three separate transactions, including five acres of beautiful riparian forest in 2013.

Having protected most of the Cumberland peninsula (along with Seattle City Light), SLT worked with partners in 2014 to restore more than 4,000 of stream habitat by reconnecting Cumberland Creek into its historic channel.

Decades prior, the construction of the South Skagit Highway caused the diversion of Cumberland Creek from its natural flow. After SLT protected Cumberland Creek Conservation Area, restoration began in the floodplain. The fight for salmon habitat included removing invasive weeds, planting native shrubs and trees, and Volunteer Land Steward Jim Johnson sharing a dream he had to “go big”. Jim dreamt to undo the diversion of Cumberland Creek caused by the road and return it home to its natural watercourse. With this idea and inspiration in mind, SLT and partner organizations including Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC), Skagit County, and Seattle City Light had an opportunity to work with the Army Corps of Engineers in 2014 to do just that. and by October of 2014, 4,000 feet of salmon habitat along Cumberland Creek were restored!

Cumberland Creek requires active restoration in some areas, especially around the wetland areas and shoreline. SLT has worked with multiple restoration partners including EarthCorps, SRSC, and Washington Conservation Corps, who help remove invasive species and plant native trees and shrubs at the Conservation Area.

“Cumberland Creek“ is a video created by Elisabetta Bastai as part of her degree through Skagit Valley College. Elisabetta collaborated with the property steward Jim Johnson, the poet, executive director and co-founder of North Cascades Institute Saul Weisberg, and the renowned Native American flutist Peter Ali to highlight the cultural and ecological importance of Cumberland Creek Conservation Area.

Site History and Ecology

The Cumberland Creek Conservation Area is an excellent example of how rich in diversity the deciduous forests of the Skagit River floodplain can be. Cottonwoods, alders and big-leaf maples line the Skagit River and provide nutrients to the water, as well as habitat for many species of birds and amphibians. The Conservation Area also provides very important salmon habitat.

Access

We encourage you to visit this property! You can tour Cumberland Creek Conservation Area using our interpretive trail guide, created by the 2009-2010 Emerson High School Environmental Science class. As part of their curriculum, Emerson students studied the natural history of Cumberland Creek and created an educational brochure. As you walk the trails, you’ll find numbered posts corresponding to the brochure’s information.

How to Get There

From the South Skagit Hwy Park & Ride in Sedro-Woolley off of Route 9, take the S. Skagit Hwy 12 miles east. Follow directions for address 34183 or using the Google map link above. Look for parking area in front of locked gate on the left side of the road. Boardwalk and Skagit Land Trust signs are just beyond gate. Park in front of the gate and walk in. A good place to meet for carpooling is the Park and Ride area at the west entrance to South Skagit Highway on Highway 9.