The Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington state has purchased hundreds of acres of farmland along the Stillaguamish River and removed levees to restore tidal marsh habitat for Chinook salmon, a federally threatened species.
"It is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow to buy back the land that we essentially traded for the resource, the fish, but it's what we have to do to get things back on track."
— Scott Boyd, Tribal Fisheries Manager
Key Actions & Impact
- Levee Removal: In October, the tribe removed two miles of earthen levee at the river's mouth, allowing tidewater to flood a former dairy farm and create a 230-acre wetland named zis a ba 2.
- Land Acquisition: Over the past 15 years, the tribe has purchased 2,000 acres of land for fish and wildlife habitat.
- Federal Recognition: The tribe gained federal recognition in 1976; its official reservation is less than 100 acres, granted about 10 years ago.
- Salmon Crisis: In 2025, only 26 Chinook salmon were allowed to be caught by the tribe due to historically low returns.
Historical & Legal Context
Under the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott, the Stillaguamish and other Puget Sound tribes ceded most of their land but retained fishing and hunting rights. Tribal officials stated that buying back land is necessary to restore salmon runs. To protect communities, the tribe built a new, taller levee farther from the river before removing the old one, a move intended to reduce flood damage for nearby areas.
Voices on the Restoration
"Now the river can connect to its floodplain like it hasn't in 140 years."
— Biologist Jason Griffith
Farmer Tyler Breum, who farms north of the wetland, expressed support for some levee removals but noted the ongoing need for farmland and repairs to aging levees.