A proposal to prohibit flotation devices on all of the South Fork Nooksack River during summer months was introduced at Tuesday’s Whatcom County Council meeting.
The proposal would expand upon county code that prohibits flotation devices, like paddleboards and inner tubes, between Edfro Creek and Acme bridge on the south fork of the Nooksack River from June 1 to Oct. 31. The amendment would enlarge the area where flotation devices are prohibited to the entire South Fork of the Nooksack River.
The proposed amendment aims to preserve the endangered Chinook salmon, representatives from the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a letter to council members.
Part of the concern lies in last summer’s heat wave, which resulted in what the letter refers to as a “mass mortality event” for the Chinook salmon.
Floating the Nooksack River is a popular way for people to beat the heat in Whatcom County, but tubing can reportedly startle adult salmon, and wading in the river can cause the trampling of salmon eggs, the letter states.
“While we recognize that controlling access to the river may be unpopular, the profound importance of this request cannot be overstated, especially considering how much outside human influence remains beyond our local control,” the letter states.
While there was little discussion on the proposed ordinance amendment at the meeting, the council’s Climate Action and Natural Resources committee met earlier that day to confer.
“We need a commitment from Whatcom County Council to take actions to protect salmon and provide resilience to adverse impacts of climate change (and) ensure salmon are protected,” said Lisa Wilson, a Lummi Nation council member.
George Swanaset Jr., Nooksack Tribe Natural and Cultural Resources Department director, also spoke at the meeting, citing a need for the public to take action to protect the Nooksack River.
“I just want to assure that we have something for our future, for our generations to follow,” Swanaset Jr. said. “None of this belongs to us. We’re borrowing it from our future.”
Council members discussed how the ordinance would be introduced to the public and enforced properly. The proposed amendment was approved for introduction and will be considered during an Aug. 9 County Council meeting.
