Why It Matters
The Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington state removed two miles of levee last year to restore tidal wetlands, creating critical habitat for federally threatened Chinook salmon. The 230-acre restoration project reflects a broader tribal effort to reverse decades of environmental damage that left salmon runs on the brink of extinction. In 2025, the tribe was limited to harvesting just 26 Chinook salmon due to severely depleted runs.
What Happened
In October, the Stillaguamish Tribe breached levees at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River near Stanwood, Washington, allowing tidewater onto former farmland for the first time in more than a century. The land, previously used for dairy operations, became a 230-acre tidal marsh named zis a ba 2, after a 19th-century chief whose village once stood nearby.
Tribal officials used excavators to remove the earthen barriers, then dug channels to help natural processes rebuild the wetland. The breaching allowed the river to reconnect with its floodplain. Restoration crews uncovered archaeological evidence of human occupation dating back 1,500 years.
December storms delivered floodwaters that reshaped the new wetland, depositing sediment and uprooted trees across the site. Those same storms caused widespread flooding across Washington and Oregon, prompting Governor Bob Ferguson to call it the costliest natural disaster in state history.
By the Numbers
The Stillaguamish Tribe has purchased 2,000 acres over the past 15 years for fish and wildlife habitat. The tribe numbers about 400 members and gained federal recognition in 1976, more than a century after signing the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. The official reservation covers less than 100 acres and was granted only about a decade ago.
Chinook salmon are listed as threatened in Puget Sound. In 2025, the entire tribe was allowed to harvest just 26 fish due to critically low population numbers. The zis a ba 2 project is the second of three large marsh restorations planned for the area.
Zoom Out
Tidal marshes serve as nurseries for juvenile Chinook salmon, providing food and shelter during critical early life stages. West Coast salmon populations have declined sharply due to habitat loss, dam construction, overfishing, and water-quality issues. Multiple tribes across the Pacific Northwest are undertaking levee-removal projects to restore floodplain connectivity and support salmon recovery.
Under the 1855 treaty, Puget Sound tribes ceded most of their land but retained hunting and fishing rights. The Stillaguamish Tribe has used land purchases to restore habitat on its traditional territory, though tribal officials acknowledge the difficulty of buying back land that was traded for resource access generations ago.
What’s Next
The tribe plans to complete a third marsh restoration project in the coming years. Natural processes will continue reshaping the zis a ba 2 wetland as tides and river flows deposit sediment and vegetation takes root. Federal officials approved disaster assistance for flood recovery in Washington and Oregon, though a request for future flood-mitigation funding was denied.
Tribal fisheries managers expect the restored wetlands to provide measurable benefits for salmon populations over time, though recovery remains a long-term effort dependent on habitat improvements throughout the Stillaguamish watershed.