Whidbey Watershed Stewards - Stewardship, Anyone Can Be a Watershed Steward

News, Events
& Volunteering

Whidbey Watershed Stewards
P.O. Box 617
Langley, WA 98260
360-579-1272
email us

We are happy to work with landowners to assess and restore streamside properties anywhere on Whidbey Island. We can suggest cost-share funding sources to help with culvert replacement, fencing, and planting. In some cases, we can take the lead on grant writing and providing volunteer help to complete a desired project. Donations to WWS help support this work!

Stewardship
Anyone can be a watershed steward. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a specific body or water such as a stream, lake or ocean. A watershed steward is someone who wishes to care for that watershed either alone on their own property or with a group like Whidbey Watershed Stewards.

Become a Habitat Steward!
Help us maintain and keep track of progress on our five completed creekside restoration sites. We'll hold periodic work parties and ask volunteers to photograph sites as plants grow, let us know when plants need replacing, and check that new culverts are working. Learn more about Stewardship activities

What Can I Do? A Guide for Individuals

A healthy watershed is one that has enough pure, clean water to meet the needs of all the plants, animals and people who live there. Threats to water can include pollution, overuse, and destruction of the natural system that collects, stores and purifies it. Preserving water quality and habitat as our population grows is an important challenge facing South Whidbey and Puget Sound.

Whidbey Backyard Wildlife Project

Whidbey Watershed Stewards is cooperating with Whidbey Audubon in a project to get Whidbey Island certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

Please, join us in this effort. Habitat loss is the biggest problem facing wildlife today. By maintaining, or transforming, parts or all of our yards into natural wildlife habitat, we can create havens for both wildlife and human visitors. See detailed information on certifying your backyard as a wildlife habitat.

So that we can keep track of our progress toward the Community Wildlife Habitat goal, please notify WWS when you have certified your backyard or if you have questions.

Check and maintain septic systems
Use garden and farm chemicals sparingly and carefully
Conserve water - inside and out
Use low-phosphate detergents
Dispose of hazardous wastes properly
Dispose of pet wastes properly
Wash your car at a facility that disposes of waste soap
Support community watershed restoration efforts

If you live on or near a water source:

Limit access of livestock to creeks
Avoid altering the streambed or surrounding area without permits and expert advice
Leave native vegetation and trees undisturbed
Replant bare, eroded areas with native plant species

Puget Sound Starts Here - a media campaign to bring public awareness to the issues of stormwater and its effect on Puget Sound. Download coupons and learn more about the issues.

We began our Watershed Stewardship Program in 1998 at the urging of, and with funding from, Island County's Watershed Program. The idea was to improve habitat, water quality and fish passage for salmon recovery by engaging in projects that targeted limiting factors in the watershed. A part-time Watershed Coordinator coordinated the work. Realizing these goals required cooperation and collaboration with the Maxwelton community and support of individual landowners.

Summary of Activities with Island County Public Works

2000 Watershed Restoration Training (funded by Puget Sound Action Team) for landowners and prospective project volunteers
2001 Tree Planting Training and over 1,000 trees distributed free of charge (trees courtesy of Mountains to Sound Greenway)
- Seminar on Using Beavers to Create Habitat
- Landowner Forum on Preserving Watershed
  Quality of Life
- Conducted biological assessment on agricultural land along the mainstem Maxwelton Creek
2002 - 2005 Landowner consultations to develop restoration projects, which resulted in three long-term projects to date; others are pending.
- Native plant distribution to 15+ landowners
- Field trip to Lake Hancock estuary
- Numerous streamside plantings with volunteers and students
- Watershed presentation for Whidbey Institute's Lyceum Series
2004 Presented "Salmonpeople" - Peter Donaldson's one-man show to help people become better stewards of our salmon and water resources. (funded by South Whidbey Community Engagement Center, and Island County Public Works Salmon Recovery Program)
2002-2004 Maxwelton Watershed Inventory with Washington Trout. Read more
2005 Restoration of a thousand feet of riparian buffer. Read more