White Creek - Skagit Land Trust

[48.39814,-121.5515]

Property Type: Trust-Owned
Date Added: 2017

Sauk River
384 acres
Open to the Public

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Conservation Story

The White Creek Conservation Area is located on a forested hillside above the Sauk River adjacent to the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The majority of the Conservation Area is forested by maturing coniferous forest and protects over one mile of the length of White Creek, a tributary to the Sauk River.

White Creek Conservation Area is one of nine properties transferred from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to Skagit Land Trust (SLT) in March of 2017. Together, these properties total 1,024 acres and expanded the lands managed by SLT by more than one third at the time of transfer.

The White Creek Conservation Area was set aside for conservation over 30 years prior by TNC and other community partners who desired to conserve habitat for bald eagle and other species along the upper Skagit River. The White Creek Conservation Area was part of the conservation of over 8,000 acres that now make up the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area.

Learn more about the land acquisition between TNC and SLT in our Summer 2017 Newsletter.

Site History and Ecology

The White Creek Conservation Area is located on a steep, primarily west-facing hillside above the upper Sauk River. A deep ravine containing White Creek extends from the northeast portion of the protected area to the southwest corner. The majority of the Conservation Area supports maturing coniferous forest at varied ages. The Sauk River flows along the southwestern corner of the conserved lands.

The majority of land next to the White Creek Conservation Area is managed forest that has previously been logged and will likely be harvested in the future. Selective logging occurred on the gently sloping forests of the White Creek Conservation Area at three selective timber harvest sites from 1993-1997. During this period of timber harvest several logging roads were constructed. Logging did not take place on the steepest slopes of the Conservation area.

The protected forest of White Creek Conservation Area provides many ecosystem functions including improving water quality, providing a source of large woody debris to White Creek and the Sauk River, and providing habitat for a variety of native plant and wildlife species.

There are many species prioritized by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for protection which make their home along White Creek and the Sauk River. The streams and shoreline are habitat for several species of fish, including coho, pink, Chinook, chum salmon, cutthroat, steelhead, and bull trout, all of which are protected species in Washington. Spotted owls have historically nested on this site and could be using the area as foraging or roosting habitat. Marbled murrelets have been documented on the adjacent property managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources immediately to the north.

Access

White Creek Conservation Area is open to low impact public access.

Note that this property is located on a steep heavily forested slope. While there are some old logging roads, they are not maintained and therefore are overgrown. Caution should be taken when hiking on this property.

How to Get There

From Mount Vernon: drive east on State Route 20. Take a right (south) onto Highway 530 in Rockport. Follow Highway 530 for 7 miles. Park on the side of the road just south of the bridge over White Creek.