Habitat Stewardship
The Issaquah Salmon Hatchery functions as a working facility, natural interpretive resource, and public park. To support operations and maintain the space for recreation and outdoor education, FISH assists with groundskeeping on campus. We also know that hatcheries are not enough to keep salmon coming home – they need high quality native habitat. To support salmon recovery, FISH also restores native habitat on campus for fish and other wildlife. In 2024, over 40 volunteers contributed more than 200 hours to habitat stewardship activities.
Project Highlights
NATIVE PLANT GARDEN
? – Present
The Native Plant Garden provides wildlife habitat and is a great natural interpretive resource for hatchery tours and other programs. It includes many native species, including the common camas pictured here. Through a partnership with the Snoqualmie Tribe, informational plant signs were installed with the traditional uses and native Lushootseed names. In spring of 2025, the garden received several additional red flowering currants and dogwoods.
WETLAND HABITAT
2009 – Present
Installed as part of multi-organizational effort in 2009, the wetland habitat demonstrates how native plants can improve water quality. Wastewater from the nearby abatement ponds are suctioned off into the wetland. As the water percolates through the wetland, sediment and pollutants are filtered out, cleaning the water before it reaches Issaquah creek. Overtime the irrigation broke, and in 2023, as part of another multi-organizational partnership the wetland habitat was restored.
RIPARIAN RESTORATION
2024 – Present
In 2024, volunteers cleared out invasive Himalayan blackberry by the creek next to the Native Plant Garden and planted 20 salmonberries. Quickly after planting, we noticed that bunny rabbits were enjoying eating the new shoots, so they are now protected by mesh fencing.
NATIVE POLLINATOR PROGRAM
2024 – Present
For the second year in a row, we are hosting mason bees at the hatchery. Mason bees are a native pollinator, more efficient than honeybees, and less likely to sting since they live solitary lives instead of in a hive. In 2025, for the first time we have put up release containers on separate garden posts from nesting boxes with the hope that this will help protect boxes from predation.
NATIVE MEADOW GARDEN
2024 – Present
The garden beds surrounded by pavement next to the holding pond viewing windows are an underutilized space, so we decided to turn it into a native meadow habitat to support pollinators and other wildlife. Seeding was unsuccessful, so in 2025 we are improving the soil and planting. As part of our Earth Day Celebration at the Hatchery, members of the community will have the opportunity to help us put 60 plants in the ground. Species are Western Yarrow, Cascade Penstemon, Douglas Aster, and Showy Fleabane.
HÜGELKULTUR
2024 – Present
A Hügelkultur is a neat sustainable gardening practice where one essentially takes unused logs, stacks them with other natural materials, and creates a slowly composting sponge. The logs absorb surplus water from heavy rainfall, then slowly release it over drier periods, helping the soil stay moist and reducing irrigation needs. As the material breaks down, it also improves soil quality and insect biodiversity.
