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.

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

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.

• 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: