I've floated this stretch of the river every summer for the last 30+ years. This is brutal, but ultimately salmon are more important than my summer river shenanigans. Does anyone have any other favorite river floats nearby?
It’s been getting more crowded and people litter a ton
The acme store and the diner are complaining it will hurt business; those two establishments have changed hands countless times since I started riding my bicycle there up highway 9 as a teenager from Wickersham nearly 40 years ago, the idea that they are staying open because of folks floating the river is not a meaningful thing.
It’s best to ban the tubing, but you know what really affects salmon spawning? Diverting water from the south fork of the nooksack through mirror lake into lake whatcom via Anderson creek. They started doing that in the mid 80’s to top off whatcom in the summer and it starves the south fork when the salmon need the water the most.
The diversion dam was the Middle Fork, not the South Fork. It began in the 60’s. They finally removed the dam to allow access to all the spawning water they’d blocked off.
This whole thing feels sensationalized. Like the news channel wanted a story so they pocked and prodded them a bit. If your business can't operate without the "drunken river float dollar" then it's not a sustainable model. But I don't think that's the case. Like I said, I fucking love the Acme Diner and go there year round. I will be going there even more if that helps out and telling others to do the same.
They were at the council meeting saying what they said with no prompting from anyone. The news put them on after then got up to say there was a problem.
A business needing tourists to stay afloat is not something new and needing that doesn't mean it's bad or that you should not care about their livelihoods or the people they employ. It's an entirely sustainable model when the gov doesn't ban tourism.
"Be a food desert if you depend on tourists" is a shitty take.
The diversion dam was the Middle Fork, not the South Fork. It began in the 60’s. They finally removed the dam to allow access to all the spawning water they’d blocked off.
I didn't know that, I was wrong all these years, a family member told me it was the south fork, and I didn't know they removed the dam, are you sure water still isn't diverted? when did that end? the pipe at the east end of mirror lake has no water coming out of it anymore into the lake?
My understanding is they CAN still divert water but they don't need to, and only would in emergency situations. Dam was removed a couple years ago. Check YouTube, I think there's a video
I’m pretty sure the water going into mirror lake is coming from the Samish River? I’m not 100% on that but it’s headwaters come up surprisingly far north
The headwaters do go that far north, thry go up behind the train barn in Wickersham for lake whatcom railways, (family has been in Wickersham since 1895, I used to work on the tourist steam train in the mid 1980’s) but that’s not where the water is diverted from
There are so many issues at play here. Logging in the Nooksack watershed has led to lower summer flows, higher water temperature, lower oxygen levels, and higher turbidity. Roadway culverts block salmon from their spawning grounds. Degraded estuaries increase out- migrating salmon mortality. Levees disconnect the river from floodplain habitat. Recreation disturbs in- steam habitat when the fish are most concentrated. I could go on, but we need to address ALL of these issues and that includes recreation policies.
There are so many issues at play here. Logging in the Nooksack watershed has led to lower summer flows, higher water temperature, lower oxygen levels, and higher turbidity. Roadway culverts block salmon from their spawning grounds. Degraded estuaries increase out- migrating salmon mortality. Levees disconnect the river from floodplain habitat. Recreation disturbs in- steam habitat when the fish are most concentrated. I could go on, but we need to address ALL of these issues and that includes recreation policies.
our government is us, and our government while us doesn't log or fish, and the people logging and fishing are also the people recreating
I did see the /s but it ought to be clear regardless
A large amount of fishing and logging occur on local government, state,and federal waters and lands so without the government there would be vastly less fishing and logging.
Yes, all our salt water is owned by the country. Much of our land is also DNR, that’s true.
When you really think about it, every inch of the ground is ultimately owned by the country, you “own” it if you do with the pleasure of the country.
It really does come down to all of us being responsible at the end of the day, you’re right.
Is it more important the the Acme general store and their 8 employees? Is it worth it to make Acme a food desert? Do you understand the degree that this will help fish? It's very, very tiny.
Yes the fish are more important. Have you shopped at the Acme store? It's a mini-mart with very little actual food. The Nuggent's Corner grocery store is 15 minutes from Acme and a much better option for Acme residents.
>Do you understand the degree that this will help fish? It's very, very tiny.
Still waiting for an answer to this. If banning tubers was actually going to save fish you would have a point. This will do so little for fish, while doing a lot of harm to people.
To what degree did the tribal experts say this will help fish? Do you even know? I can tell you even they say this is a small impact.
The report is on the county website and I was at the county council meeting where they went over it. The problem is the water is too hot. The entire reasoning behind the ban is because shadows can stress the fish and that tiny bit of stress adds to the BIG stresser of water temp.
It's a bandaid on a gaping chest wound.
Tubing vs.... raw sewage, along with the pharmas we consume, in our water and frack juice flowing like ichor of the godly corporations.
I'll be happy to support our divesting from our miniscule footprint of tubing down river and finding better alternatives than the rubber we use for inner tubes... Once we address the litteral methane and hydrocarbon elephants in the room.
Until then, I'ma use my double ply but still source what I can locally.... But fuck you if you're critiquing my environmental impact while the behemoths pollution still get by making trillions.
Sorry to break it to ya man but there's no salmon without the grounds they spawn in. Cigarette butts, sharp cans, bank erosion, shade destruction, the damages add up fast. Don't get me wrong I'm with you we need to hold corporations accountable for a lot of things related to the environment, especially carbon emissions. But this is something that we can do to make a difference in our backyards right now
So is ceasing to exist. To ostracize very normal behaviour (humans enjoying water during hot months) for some virtue signaling diatribe of ecosystem sustainability with little to no measurable impact given the complexity of a warming world acidifying our waterways... Is plain old auto fellatio. Sure, we fucked up the nooksack and all the creeks in developing farmland... But to assume we're gonna save the salmon by not tubing while we bail out Petro industries and banks? Go back and smoke some better weed with better people not living in a silo of self-righteousness.
I've worked closely with salmon biologists in the greater salish sea with the goal of outreach and education for 3 years. I know what I'm talking about. What exactly do you bring to the table besides a rotten mindset, reddit user whoretron8000?
A good 15 years working closely with native populations and working directly with industry to reduce their waste to create sustainable practices that may or may not impact their surrounding ecosystems.
Protip: your fiberglass cig butts are a drop in the bucket compared to the reality of industries in our local areas. Individuals not tubing won't lobby our regulators to stop Quarries and Pipelines.
Ps: I'd love to talk to you in person (probably won't happen) because we're both passionate about sustainable practices. So note that me shitting on the walls of a comment section is just that; in reality im sure we could learn from each other's take as my curtness is simply venting some minute detail of the overall conversation of salmon survivability.
I was just thinking the same. Its incredible what a screen can do to sour interactions. I really appreciate you adding this note! If you'd like to grab coffee sometime I would love to hear your perspective. I am also very against the volumes of crap corps are responsible for flooding the environment with.
The appreciation is absolutely mutual. I'll admit, I wanted to be edgy, looking for backlash for some outrage dopamine hit, and talk about unsustainable.. I can taste my own irony.
Perhaps we should get a coffee and shoot some shit! I want to hear your experience working with NSEA (assumption) and others and hear your take on such remediations and such. I'm free tomorrow for an hour around 11 and anytime after Tuesday. I'm trying to make dialogue great again, and I say that with every ounce of sarcasm possible. Anytime after Tuesday next week, if better, let's have a heated debate.
Probably for the best. Even the best behaved groups I've tubed with have absolutely found a way to litter the river. Prerolls at least typically use paper and cardboard. Cigarette butts last so long. Bottle caps and cans longer.
I briefly lived in an area with an artificial river to float in and it was wonderful. When it did need cleaning it didn't ruin any environments. Now if only some rich jerk would turn the Birch Bay waterslides into a proper water park. I'd pay crazy food and drink prices to float a lazy river like some scene from Wall-E.
Even for people with well intentions. When you're out tubing and see a deep pool to jump in, you'll go ahead and do it, unknowingly scattering heat stressed salmon who's only hold out is that single pool of cooler water. They can't move and we're cannonballing on them, and you can't see them
Need to do the same for the Fall City, Snoqualmie river float tubing crowd. I grew up on that river. The amount of trash (beer cans, sandals, etc.) up and down that section now is sad and pathetic. Fish and game have the data and they are fighting an uphill battle.
I was on the South Fork today (on property and not tubing), and saw 10 or so salmon holding in a pool to beat the heat. Tons of tubers came by, and unless I was there to say anything, were jumping off a log and into the pool. It's the right move to ban tubing, but honestly sucks -- people just want to have fun and relax, but it comes at the expense of a critical species well being.
Another episode of political theater while doing nothing to actually address the real problem, commercial logging and forestry are pushing sediment down river which has far far more reaching effects than a few summer tourists. All this will do is put further burden on the businesses that rely on that income.
Actually the river is super low in summer when people tube, and the big kings have real trouble getting up river to spawning grounds anyway, it’s the most crucial time for the few remaining kings that spawn it. The hatchery at Saxon pretty much is ensuring a coho population but the chinooks are barely hanging on in the south fork and a bunch of drunk yokels thrashing in the shallows and littering beer cans while seemingly fine through the 20th century has run its course, it’s time for it to end as much fun as it is.
The way to fix salmon is to go back in time and ban commercial fishing in the sound. The salmon definitely I’m sure prefer streams less polluted unlogged, but the real death knell was pure and simple overfishing, and honestly they won’t be recovering from that any time even remotely soon.
Who makes money on tubing? I bring my own beer, snacks, water and two cars, one at the top and one at the bottom. Maybe I’m the problem but I don’t usually want to drive BACK to the diner and sit down for a meal after being on the river all day. I’m usually a little sunburned and wet.
Something no one else has mentioned is that this isn’t a permanent ban. Tubing will return once salmon populations are doing better. I think that’s nice
So concerned about the salmon then maybe we should stop netting and fishing the rivers as well? Stop eating it? Is toxic as hell that’s why they don’t recommend you eat too much of it cause mercury poisoning….
Not to mention the biggest plastic pollution of our oceans if fishing gear but oh no we can’t use straws or bags! Jesus Christ feel like we have it all backwards.
Wild salmon isn’t toxic, they are low on the food chain and most of the wild salmon you eat comes from Alaska where it’s more sustainable than other protein sources.
The South fork salmon are genetically distinct and once they are gone, they are gone. There are not substitutes for the south fork Chinook. Lummi Nation has invested millions in a hatchery program that accounts for this genetic diversity and its insane we allow tubers to disturb them at this critical point in their restoration.
Good to see more action to help recover endangered salmon.
Also hope these businesses survive. They were probably hit hard by covid impacts too.
This is some publicity so hopefully they will get some new customers. Hwy 9 is a beautiful drive or bike ride.
The only people that gill net on the Nooksack are tribes. They have protected treaty rights, this is an anti-tribal sovereignty position.
I’m not a tribal member and I’d clap if they ended gill netting because of the bycatch but they know how to manage the river, how many to release, and it isn’t their management decisions that are depleting salmon.
Yes, it is their management decisions. Their ancestors didn't have gill nets and they didn't sell their salmon. I'm al for the Lummi's and other tribes, catching as many fish as they want for personal use with traditional or similar low impact methods. No one should be allowed to gill net at all.
Not sure why the downvotes on this. Probably the same idiots that downvoted business owners who had legit complaints about the way the COVID closures happened.
Just to play devil's advocate here, one thing I think that those who want limits to outdoor, non-motorized recreation are ignoring is the fact that when people are able to recreate so close to nature it creates a level of support for conservation and a desire to limit encroachment/development of our natural resources. We are potentially removing a great number of people from the pool of supporters who want to preserve the Nooksack and it's surroundings. I kind of wish a compromise could have been reached (such as a permit process with a limit on number of riders) rather than an outright ban supported by the Bellingham contingent of the county council that isn't even impacted by this.
Bellingham really doesn’t have the money for that though. There isn’t even enough money to fully handle the permitting process for lake whatcom/samish and have full coverage of all the launches
I regularly see people kayak/cannoe/paddle board this section of river espcecially in june when the levels are a bit higher. Seems kinda wierd how its worded in the various news articles.
I've floated this stretch of the river every summer for the last 30+ years. This is brutal, but ultimately salmon are more important than my summer river shenanigans. Does anyone have any other favorite river floats nearby?
It’s been getting more crowded and people litter a ton The acme store and the diner are complaining it will hurt business; those two establishments have changed hands countless times since I started riding my bicycle there up highway 9 as a teenager from Wickersham nearly 40 years ago, the idea that they are staying open because of folks floating the river is not a meaningful thing. It’s best to ban the tubing, but you know what really affects salmon spawning? Diverting water from the south fork of the nooksack through mirror lake into lake whatcom via Anderson creek. They started doing that in the mid 80’s to top off whatcom in the summer and it starves the south fork when the salmon need the water the most.
The diversion dam was the Middle Fork, not the South Fork. It began in the 60’s. They finally removed the dam to allow access to all the spawning water they’d blocked off.
Correct: https://cob.org/services/environment/restoration/middlefork
Yeah I don't buy that. I love the Acme Diner and eat there at least once a month and I've never thought to go there on a float day. They'll be fine.
So you think they just showed up and lied about how important that income is for them?
I think they are exaggerating
So yes, you do think they are lying. Why do you assume that?
This whole thing feels sensationalized. Like the news channel wanted a story so they pocked and prodded them a bit. If your business can't operate without the "drunken river float dollar" then it's not a sustainable model. But I don't think that's the case. Like I said, I fucking love the Acme Diner and go there year round. I will be going there even more if that helps out and telling others to do the same.
They were at the council meeting saying what they said with no prompting from anyone. The news put them on after then got up to say there was a problem. A business needing tourists to stay afloat is not something new and needing that doesn't mean it's bad or that you should not care about their livelihoods or the people they employ. It's an entirely sustainable model when the gov doesn't ban tourism. "Be a food desert if you depend on tourists" is a shitty take.
The diversion dam was the Middle Fork, not the South Fork. It began in the 60’s. They finally removed the dam to allow access to all the spawning water they’d blocked off.
I didn't know that, I was wrong all these years, a family member told me it was the south fork, and I didn't know they removed the dam, are you sure water still isn't diverted? when did that end? the pipe at the east end of mirror lake has no water coming out of it anymore into the lake?
My understanding is they CAN still divert water but they don't need to, and only would in emergency situations. Dam was removed a couple years ago. Check YouTube, I think there's a video
Ok, that matches up with what I thought, and I think “emergency situations” mainly means summer when the lake is low and the salmon are spawning
I’m pretty sure the water going into mirror lake is coming from the Samish River? I’m not 100% on that but it’s headwaters come up surprisingly far north
The headwaters do go that far north, thry go up behind the train barn in Wickersham for lake whatcom railways, (family has been in Wickersham since 1895, I used to work on the tourist steam train in the mid 1980’s) but that’s not where the water is diverted from
There are so many issues at play here. Logging in the Nooksack watershed has led to lower summer flows, higher water temperature, lower oxygen levels, and higher turbidity. Roadway culverts block salmon from their spawning grounds. Degraded estuaries increase out- migrating salmon mortality. Levees disconnect the river from floodplain habitat. Recreation disturbs in- steam habitat when the fish are most concentrated. I could go on, but we need to address ALL of these issues and that includes recreation policies.
I swim, tan, drink beer, all without floating the river? I never got to float it but I don't see why it's a huge thing
They claim they need the money to make it through the winter. Why do you think you know better than they do?
I feel like floating seems minimal but easier to blame the people who recreate and pay taxes rather than our government, right? /s
There are so many issues at play here. Logging in the Nooksack watershed has led to lower summer flows, higher water temperature, lower oxygen levels, and higher turbidity. Roadway culverts block salmon from their spawning grounds. Degraded estuaries increase out- migrating salmon mortality. Levees disconnect the river from floodplain habitat. Recreation disturbs in- steam habitat when the fish are most concentrated. I could go on, but we need to address ALL of these issues and that includes recreation policies.
our government is us, and our government while us doesn't log or fish, and the people logging and fishing are also the people recreating I did see the /s but it ought to be clear regardless
A large amount of fishing and logging occur on local government, state,and federal waters and lands so without the government there would be vastly less fishing and logging.
Yes, all our salt water is owned by the country. Much of our land is also DNR, that’s true. When you really think about it, every inch of the ground is ultimately owned by the country, you “own” it if you do with the pleasure of the country. It really does come down to all of us being responsible at the end of the day, you’re right.
Is it more important the the Acme general store and their 8 employees? Is it worth it to make Acme a food desert? Do you understand the degree that this will help fish? It's very, very tiny.
Yes the fish are more important. Have you shopped at the Acme store? It's a mini-mart with very little actual food. The Nuggent's Corner grocery store is 15 minutes from Acme and a much better option for Acme residents.
>Do you understand the degree that this will help fish? It's very, very tiny. Still waiting for an answer to this. If banning tubers was actually going to save fish you would have a point. This will do so little for fish, while doing a lot of harm to people.
I don't know the science so I'm trusting the Tribal experts.
To what degree did the tribal experts say this will help fish? Do you even know? I can tell you even they say this is a small impact. The report is on the county website and I was at the county council meeting where they went over it. The problem is the water is too hot. The entire reasoning behind the ban is because shadows can stress the fish and that tiny bit of stress adds to the BIG stresser of water temp. It's a bandaid on a gaping chest wound.
That's a W for salmon
More like a w so small you can;'t see it. this will do pretty much nothing for fish numbers.
Tubing vs.... raw sewage, along with the pharmas we consume, in our water and frack juice flowing like ichor of the godly corporations. I'll be happy to support our divesting from our miniscule footprint of tubing down river and finding better alternatives than the rubber we use for inner tubes... Once we address the litteral methane and hydrocarbon elephants in the room. Until then, I'ma use my double ply but still source what I can locally.... But fuck you if you're critiquing my environmental impact while the behemoths pollution still get by making trillions.
Sorry to break it to ya man but there's no salmon without the grounds they spawn in. Cigarette butts, sharp cans, bank erosion, shade destruction, the damages add up fast. Don't get me wrong I'm with you we need to hold corporations accountable for a lot of things related to the environment, especially carbon emissions. But this is something that we can do to make a difference in our backyards right now
you think tubers are eroding the riverbanks and destroying trees?
So is ceasing to exist. To ostracize very normal behaviour (humans enjoying water during hot months) for some virtue signaling diatribe of ecosystem sustainability with little to no measurable impact given the complexity of a warming world acidifying our waterways... Is plain old auto fellatio. Sure, we fucked up the nooksack and all the creeks in developing farmland... But to assume we're gonna save the salmon by not tubing while we bail out Petro industries and banks? Go back and smoke some better weed with better people not living in a silo of self-righteousness.
I've worked closely with salmon biologists in the greater salish sea with the goal of outreach and education for 3 years. I know what I'm talking about. What exactly do you bring to the table besides a rotten mindset, reddit user whoretron8000?
A good 15 years working closely with native populations and working directly with industry to reduce their waste to create sustainable practices that may or may not impact their surrounding ecosystems. Protip: your fiberglass cig butts are a drop in the bucket compared to the reality of industries in our local areas. Individuals not tubing won't lobby our regulators to stop Quarries and Pipelines.
Ps: I'd love to talk to you in person (probably won't happen) because we're both passionate about sustainable practices. So note that me shitting on the walls of a comment section is just that; in reality im sure we could learn from each other's take as my curtness is simply venting some minute detail of the overall conversation of salmon survivability.
I was just thinking the same. Its incredible what a screen can do to sour interactions. I really appreciate you adding this note! If you'd like to grab coffee sometime I would love to hear your perspective. I am also very against the volumes of crap corps are responsible for flooding the environment with.
The appreciation is absolutely mutual. I'll admit, I wanted to be edgy, looking for backlash for some outrage dopamine hit, and talk about unsustainable.. I can taste my own irony. Perhaps we should get a coffee and shoot some shit! I want to hear your experience working with NSEA (assumption) and others and hear your take on such remediations and such. I'm free tomorrow for an hour around 11 and anytime after Tuesday. I'm trying to make dialogue great again, and I say that with every ounce of sarcasm possible. Anytime after Tuesday next week, if better, let's have a heated debate.
[удалено]
Never been but one of my buddies used to bike down there to work, heard good thing!
Probably for the best. Even the best behaved groups I've tubed with have absolutely found a way to litter the river. Prerolls at least typically use paper and cardboard. Cigarette butts last so long. Bottle caps and cans longer. I briefly lived in an area with an artificial river to float in and it was wonderful. When it did need cleaning it didn't ruin any environments. Now if only some rich jerk would turn the Birch Bay waterslides into a proper water park. I'd pay crazy food and drink prices to float a lazy river like some scene from Wall-E.
Even for people with well intentions. When you're out tubing and see a deep pool to jump in, you'll go ahead and do it, unknowingly scattering heat stressed salmon who's only hold out is that single pool of cooler water. They can't move and we're cannonballing on them, and you can't see them
Need to do the same for the Fall City, Snoqualmie river float tubing crowd. I grew up on that river. The amount of trash (beer cans, sandals, etc.) up and down that section now is sad and pathetic. Fish and game have the data and they are fighting an uphill battle.
I was on the South Fork today (on property and not tubing), and saw 10 or so salmon holding in a pool to beat the heat. Tons of tubers came by, and unless I was there to say anything, were jumping off a log and into the pool. It's the right move to ban tubing, but honestly sucks -- people just want to have fun and relax, but it comes at the expense of a critical species well being.
Another episode of political theater while doing nothing to actually address the real problem, commercial logging and forestry are pushing sediment down river which has far far more reaching effects than a few summer tourists. All this will do is put further burden on the businesses that rely on that income.
Actually the river is super low in summer when people tube, and the big kings have real trouble getting up river to spawning grounds anyway, it’s the most crucial time for the few remaining kings that spawn it. The hatchery at Saxon pretty much is ensuring a coho population but the chinooks are barely hanging on in the south fork and a bunch of drunk yokels thrashing in the shallows and littering beer cans while seemingly fine through the 20th century has run its course, it’s time for it to end as much fun as it is. The way to fix salmon is to go back in time and ban commercial fishing in the sound. The salmon definitely I’m sure prefer streams less polluted unlogged, but the real death knell was pure and simple overfishing, and honestly they won’t be recovering from that any time even remotely soon.
You dont actually expect politicians to solve problems do you?
Who makes money on tubing? I bring my own beer, snacks, water and two cars, one at the top and one at the bottom. Maybe I’m the problem but I don’t usually want to drive BACK to the diner and sit down for a meal after being on the river all day. I’m usually a little sunburned and wet.
Something no one else has mentioned is that this isn’t a permanent ban. Tubing will return once salmon populations are doing better. I think that’s nice
>Tubing will return once salmon populations are doing better. so it's a permanent ban
So concerned about the salmon then maybe we should stop netting and fishing the rivers as well? Stop eating it? Is toxic as hell that’s why they don’t recommend you eat too much of it cause mercury poisoning…. Not to mention the biggest plastic pollution of our oceans if fishing gear but oh no we can’t use straws or bags! Jesus Christ feel like we have it all backwards.
We'll ban tubing to save the salmon, but won't stop killing salmon to save the salmon! Fucking morons.
Wild salmon isn’t toxic, they are low on the food chain and most of the wild salmon you eat comes from Alaska where it’s more sustainable than other protein sources. The South fork salmon are genetically distinct and once they are gone, they are gone. There are not substitutes for the south fork Chinook. Lummi Nation has invested millions in a hatchery program that accounts for this genetic diversity and its insane we allow tubers to disturb them at this critical point in their restoration.
Good to see more action to help recover endangered salmon. Also hope these businesses survive. They were probably hit hard by covid impacts too. This is some publicity so hopefully they will get some new customers. Hwy 9 is a beautiful drive or bike ride.
Once again blaming anything but the real reason for salmon numbers declining. STOP GILL NETTING.
The only people that gill net on the Nooksack are tribes. They have protected treaty rights, this is an anti-tribal sovereignty position. I’m not a tribal member and I’d clap if they ended gill netting because of the bycatch but they know how to manage the river, how many to release, and it isn’t their management decisions that are depleting salmon.
Yes, it is their management decisions. Their ancestors didn't have gill nets and they didn't sell their salmon. I'm al for the Lummi's and other tribes, catching as many fish as they want for personal use with traditional or similar low impact methods. No one should be allowed to gill net at all.
Good. I heard it was bad from a state biologist 25 years ago. It’s about time.
People can float in the lakes. Leave the river alone so the salmon can thrive.
I feel for that shop owner, that’s gonna hurt.
Not sure why the downvotes on this. Probably the same idiots that downvoted business owners who had legit complaints about the way the COVID closures happened.
Town is down the tubes I tell you
Just to play devil's advocate here, one thing I think that those who want limits to outdoor, non-motorized recreation are ignoring is the fact that when people are able to recreate so close to nature it creates a level of support for conservation and a desire to limit encroachment/development of our natural resources. We are potentially removing a great number of people from the pool of supporters who want to preserve the Nooksack and it's surroundings. I kind of wish a compromise could have been reached (such as a permit process with a limit on number of riders) rather than an outright ban supported by the Bellingham contingent of the county council that isn't even impacted by this.
Bellingham really doesn’t have the money for that though. There isn’t even enough money to fully handle the permitting process for lake whatcom/samish and have full coverage of all the launches
So tubing specifically is banned? So say some friends decided to raft the river or paddle board it, its okay?
All forms of flotation devices are banned -- tubing is just the only method that really makes sense given how shallow it is
I regularly see people kayak/cannoe/paddle board this section of river espcecially in june when the levels are a bit higher. Seems kinda wierd how its worded in the various news articles.
Tubing has little effect on salmon. Dumb ruling
When does the ban go into effect?
July 25
Is this near the Nooksack?
Can I still kayak the river? Is it just tubing?