Fir Island
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Fir Island is bounded by North and South Forks of the
Skagit River The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000& ...
and
Skagit Bay Skagit Bay is a bay and strait located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Whidbey Island Basin of Puget Sound. The Skagit River empties into Skagit Bay. To the south, Skagit Bay connects with the rest of Puget Sound via Saratoga ...
of
Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...
in the southwestern corner of
Skagit County Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Skagit Ind ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. Triangular in outline, east–west by north–south with an area of nearly , Fir Island is occupied by 195 families. The island is connected by bridge to the village of Conway, located on the east shore of the South Fork of the Skagit River. A second bridge, across the North Fork of the Skagit River, leads to La Conner, northwest. Near the northeast tip of Fir Island is the site of the 19th-century town of Skagit City which declined after upstream log jams were removed in 1877.


Natural history

A major component of the Skagit River
Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...
, the island is an important habitat for wildlife. Migrating from the northern portion of
Wrangel Island Wrangel Island ( rus, О́стров Вра́нгеля, r=Ostrov Vrangelya, p=ˈostrəf ˈvrangʲɪlʲə; ckt, Умӄиԓир, translit=Umqiḷir) is an island of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is the 91st largest island in the w ...
in
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, 30,000 to 70,000
snow geese The snow goose (''Anser caerulescens'') is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed ...
spend the winter on the Skagit River Delta and the Fraser River Delta of
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. Important internationally, this population and one that winters in California, are the only snow geese that migrate between Eurasia and North America and the only remnant still extant in Eurasia. Other migratory waterfowl include
tundra swan The tundra swan (''Cygnus columbianus'') is a small swan of the Holarctic. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (''Cygnus bewickii'') of the Palaearctic and th ...
s,
trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 250 cm (6 ft 2 in to 8 ft 2 ...
s and the bald eagle. Over the course of a year, 180 species of birds have been recorded at Skagit Wildlife Area, of mostly tidelands and intertidal marsh, the largest section of which is located on the southern margin of the island. Near the south end of Fir Island, the Wiley Slough Restoration Project is intended to restore natural processes to a portion of Skagit Wildlife Area. The project includes removal of of existing dikes, construction of of new dikes, and construction of a new tide gate on Wiley Slough upstream of the existing one which will be removed. The main goal of the project is to increase the diversity of species that depend on estuaries, especially Puget Sound
Chinook Salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus '' Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ...
that are listed as threatened under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Despite opposition by hunters, the project is supported by many in the community and Governor
Christine Gregoire Christine Gregoire (; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and ag ...
.


Skagit River floods

Fir Island is periodically flooded by the Skagit River. On February 27, 1932 Fir Island flooded after a dike broke between Fir and Skagit City. A number of buildings were carried away by the river, and area farmers lost between 150 and 200 chickens, 4 head of cattle, and 8 or 10 sheep. On November 25, 1990, the per second flow of the Skagit River caused it to overtop its earthen dikes and the island was inundated. No human fatalities occurred but livestock deaths were reported. Dike repairs the following summer cost $7 million. On October 21, 2003, a peak flow of per second occurred when the Skagit River crested at more than above flood stage. A total of 3,400 people were evacuated from flood prone areas along the river. On November 8, 2006, in the aftermath of a strong
Pineapple Express Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent large-scale flow of warm moist air, and the associated heavy precipitation both in the waters immediately northeast of the Hawaii ...
storm, a flow of per second and a crest feet above flood stage were recorded. Such floods deposit great quantities of
driftwood __NOTOC__ Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...
along river channels and on tidelands.


References

{{Authority control Islands of Skagit County, Washington Islands of Puget Sound River islands of Washington (state)