Tidal Flats Field Sites

Skagit Bay and Willapa Bay

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  • Intro
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• Skagit Bay
  • Intro
  • Maps
  • Data Links
  • Photos
  • References

Skagit River Tidal Flats

Research will focus on the Skagit River delta tidal flats, south of the Swinomish Slough (an artificial boat channel). These flats are dominated by sand, and spring tides approach 4 m. Water input from the Skagit is relatively large: mean over 66 y for peak annual flows is 71310 cfs.

Studies in this area will emphasize the following objectives in the science plan:

• a) development, evaluation and improvement of coastal and estuarine circulation models, with a focus on the interaction among circulation, sediment and morphology where the role of waves is relatively unimportant;
• b) determination of the relative roles of river- and tidal-induced circulation in forcing sediment transport and the associated morphologic response on tidal flats;
• c) determination of the processes and parameters that govern morphologic stability and change on tidal flats; and
• d) determination of small-scale sediment-transport phenomena impacting sedimentation.

Maps

Aerial Map

Substrate Map

PDF version of Substrate Map

Substrate Map courtesy of:

McBride, A., K. Wolf, and E.M. Beamer, 2006, Skagit Bay Nearshore Habitat Mapping. http://www.skagitcoop.org/EB2180_McBride%20et%20al_2006.pdf

Skagit Bay Links to Available Data

• Tides:
  • La Conner, (tides) [cfdnet.com]
  • Rocky Point, (Currents) [cfdnet.com]
  • Goat Island, (Currents) [cfdnet.com]
• Bathymetry:
  • Puget Sound DEM, [ocean.washington.edu]
• Weather:
  • La Conner, WA, [wunderground.com]
• River:
  • Skagit River, Mt Vernon, WA (above fork), [waterdata.usgs.gov]
• Public Image Databases
  • Washington State Shoreline (oblique) Aerial Photos Navigate map and click on locations (red dots), [apps.ecy.wa.gov]
  • Washington State Ortho Aerial Photos, Select quadrant/quad and download raster images, [duff.ess.washington.edu]
• NOAA Charts
  • NOAA General Coastline Site: [nauticalcharts.noaa.gov]
  • NOAA Chart: 18427, [charts.noaa.gov]
  • NOAA Chart: 18441, [charts.noaa.gov]

Photos

Photo Placement Key

Note: all photos taken near or at low tide.

1.) Bedforms Central	2.) Channel Central	3.) Channel South
4.) Transition Central	5.) Rivermouth Northfork	6.) Mudflats North
7.) Ripples Central	8.) Sandflats Central	9.) Flats Central
10.) Panarama

References

Collins, B., 1998, Preliminary assessment of historic conditions of the Skagit River in the Fir Island area: implications for salmonid habitat restoration. Report to: Skagit System Cooperative, 66 p.

Downing, John, The coast of Puget Sound- its processes and development. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1983.

Hood, Gregory W., 2006, A conceptual model of depositional, rather than erosional, tidal channel development in the rapidly prograding Skagit River Delta (Washington, USA): Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. v. 31, p. 1824-1838.

Grossman, Eric, E. Deltaic Habitats in Puget Sound- Natural versus human Related Change.2005. Sound Waves Monthly Newsletter. http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/fieldwork3.html

Grossman, Eric E., Stevens, Andrew, Gelfenbaum, Guy, and Curran, Christopher, 2007, Nearshore circulation and water column properties in the Skagit River Delta, northern Puget Sound, Washington - Juvenile Chinook salmon habitat availability in the Swinomish Channel: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5120, 96 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5120/

Hood, W.G., 2007, Large woody debris influences vegetation zonation in an oligohaline tidal marsh. Estuaries and Coasts, v. 30, p. 441-450.

McBride, A., Wolf, K., Beamer, E.M., 2006, Skagit Bay Nearshore Habitat Mapping: Skagit River System Cooperative. http://www.skagitcoop.org/EB2180_McBride%20et%20al_2006.pdf