The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association is a community based non profit dedicated to restoring wild salmon populations in Whatcom County. We have been actively restoring fresh water salmon habitat since 1990.

We encourage you to check out our website and learn about the many ways we work hard to ensure our systems are vibrant and healthy, our community is educated, and our salmon have viable spawning and rearing grounds. Thank you for visiting our site and we look forward to connecting with you! 




 



Our work:
 

Earth Day 2013


Thank you Bellingham Food Cooperative for attending our Earth Day restoration work party and documenting this special day through
a video.
We appreciate our community so much!










Thank you to the 4th Corner Fly Fishers for participating in steelhead spawner surveys!
                                                                                                                                                              NSEA and the 4th Corner Fly Fishers share the common goal of conserving and enhancing fisheries in Whatcom County.  We've enjoyed working together to complete spawning grounds surveys that help determine the health of our local steelhead populations. Thank you 4th Corner for your generous support and increased involvement with NSEA!
 
 

  
Fast Facts:

The Nooksack River Basin has all 5 species of Pacific salmon:  Chinook salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, and sockeye salmon.

  • Chinook are the largest Pacific salmon species and can reach up to 135 pounds!
  • Coho have the nickname silver salmon because they retain their silvery ocean color longer than any other salmon species after entering fresh water.
  • In 2012, 1,533 Whatcom County students spent 18,791 hours participating in NSEA educational programs.
  • In 2012, 121 streamside habitat restoration work parties were held. 2,311 volunteers donated 6,508 hours to streamside work parties! 

Pacific salmon have disappeared from about 40% of their historical breeding ranges in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California over the last century, and many remaining populations are severely depressed in areas where they were formerly abundant.