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Puget Sound Salmon Health

Skagit River Basin

Salmon health indicators and environmental conditions for the Skagit River watershed in North Sound. Area: 8,134 km².

Critical

Chinook Returns (2024)

fish
stable

All Species (2024)

0fish

Watershed Area

8,134km²

Chinook Returns — Skagit River

2015 – 2024 · Annual estimated spawner counts

No data available for this selection.

Returns by Species

Chinook

No data available for this selection.

Coho

From 2010 to 2023, estimates increased by 74%. Most recent (2023): 54k fish. Range across period: 6k–93k fish.
View data as table
Coho Returns — tabular data
YearValue (fish)
201031k
201141k
201293k
201384k
201425k
20156k
201636k
201718k
201819k
201914k
202024k
202176k
202292k
202354k

Chum

From 2010 to 2023, estimates decreased by 92%. Most recent (2023): 3k fish. Range across period: 3k–64k fish.
View data as table
Chum Returns — tabular data
YearValue (fish)
201040k
201115k
201236k
20139k
201464k
20158k
201634k
20177k
201819k
20193k
202014k
202122k
202245k
20233k

Pink

From 2011 to 2023, estimates decreased by 16%. Most recent (2023): 470k fish. Range across period: 110k–900k fish.
View data as table
Pink Returns — tabular data
YearValue (fish)
2011560k
2013900k
2017110k
2019300k
2021460k
2023470k

Sockeye

No data available for this selection.

Steelhead

No data available for this selection.

Environmental Conditions

Annual Water Temperature

From 2015 to 2024, estimates decreased by 9%. Most recent (2024): 8.3 °C. Range across period: 7.3–9.1 °C.

Annual median water temperature across active USGS monitoring stations in Puget Sound. Temperatures above 18°C cause physiological stress for adult salmon.

Source: USGS NWIS Statistics Service — annual median across 4 stations

View data as table
Annual Water Temperature — tabular data
YearValue (°C)
20159.1
20169
20177.7
20188.4
20198.4
20208.3
20218.3
20227.3
20238.8
20248.3

Annual Stream Discharge

From 2015 to 2024, estimates decreased by 22%. Most recent (2024): 287 cfs. Range across period: 279–480 cfs.

Annual median stream discharge across active USGS gauging stations in Puget Sound. Low flow years reduce spawning habitat and concentrate contaminants.

Source: USGS NWIS Statistics Service — annual median across 5 stations

View data as table
Annual Stream Discharge — tabular data
YearValue (cfs)
2015368
2016480
2017445
2018362
2019279
2020462
2021408
2022357
2023282
2024287

Restoration & Stewardship

Habitat restoration, hatchery programs, and monitoring projects are active across the Skagit River watershed. Tribal nations hold treaty-protected fishing rights and co-manage salmon populations under the Boldt Decision.

View Stewardship Projects →