The Weiss Creek Project Video

Washington Trout has received an in-kind award from the 911 Media Center in Seattle to produce a five- to ten-minute video documenting the aims, methods, and progress of the Weiss Creek Restoration Project. The completed video will be distributed to resource agencies, salmon-recovery planning entities, public-policy leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, business groups, other conservation organizations, and the general public.

WT’s Weiss Creek Project is a state-of-the-art restoration, utilizing the most current restoration-ecology techniques. The completed project has re-routed the creek from an 800 foot diked ditch back into its historical channel, recovering over 5000 feet of floodplain channel and about 20 acres of wetland, rearing habitat for juvenile coho salmon, winter steelhead and cutthroat trout. The important goal of the project was not just to create artificial habitats, but to restore habitat processes to Lower Weiss Creek, to give it the opportunity to work and evolve like a natural system. The new channel is functioning as expected, and juvenile fish are already utilizing the recovered habitats.

WT develops scientifically rigorous restoration projects like Weiss Creek to serve as models for similar projects throughout the region, and video is a powerful education and advocacy tool.

The short documentary will illustrate the complete story of the Weiss Creek Project, its goals, techniques, and achievements. The story includes the involvement and commitment of the landowner Andy Weiss, an important model for future cooperation between private landowners and salmon-recovery efforts. The Weiss Creek Project video will help WT promote our approach of recovering the original habitat processes and conditions that can restore wild salmon populations.

Production is expected to be completed in early summer 2001. Later this summer or early fall, 911 will host a premier of the video at their facility in downtown Seattle. Watch this site for updates.

For more information about the Weiss Creek restoration project, click here.