Baker River (Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Baker River is an approximately 30 miles (48.3 km), southward-flowing tributary of the Skagit River
in northwestern Washington in the United States
. It drains an area of the high North Cascades
in the watershed of Puget Sound
north of Seattle, and east of Mount Baker
. With a watershed
of approximately 270 mi2 in a broad and deep valley partially inside North Cascades National Park
, it is the last major tributary of the Skagit before the larger river reaches its mouth on Skagit Bay
. The river flows through Concrete, Washington
near its mouth and has two hydroelectric dams owned by Puget Sound Energy
.
. It flows south, starting in the Baker River Valley north-east of Mount Shuksan
. The river flows generally southwest through a steep glacial valley, receiving several short glacial-fed tributaries from surrounding mountains. Many of these tributaries harbor tall, but never officially measured waterfalls. Most of the southern half of the river is impounded in artificial lakes, both part of the Baker River Hydroelectric Project. The first reservoir is 9 miles (14.5 km)-long Baker Lake
, impounded by Upper Baker Dam
. (The lake was formerly a natural lake, until its level was raised by the 312 feet (95.1 m)-high dam.) Lake Shannon
, impounded by Lower Baker Dam
, begins immediately below Baker Lake and stretches about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) downstream. Below Lower Baker Dam the Baker River flows unimpeded (except for a small weir at a fish passage station) for about a mile before emptying into the Skagit River.
Most of Baker Lake is in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
. Upper Baker Dam is located in Whatcom County and Lower Baker Dam is located in Skagit County above the town of Concrete
. Both dams are owned by Puget Sound Energy
.
in the Skagit River drainage basin. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has determined the Baker River sockeye to be genetically distinct from other sockeye salmon. As of 1992 the condition of the population was listed as "critical". In 1985 only 92 adults were found to return to the river. Since the 1990s, however, the population has recovered somewhat, in part due to improvements in the smolt trapping and transportation system. A high of 20,235 fish were counted in 2003.
Before Lower Baker Dam was built in 1925 the fish had free access to the river and natural (pre-dammed) Baker Lake. The annual sockeye run at that time was estimated to be approximately 20,000 fish. Artificial enhancement began in 1896 when the State of Washington constructed a hatchery on Baker Lake. This was the first establishment for the hatching of sockeye salmon. The hatchery closed in 1933. The construction of Upper Baker Dam in 1959 inundated the natural Baker Lake and surrounding valley, including the spawning grounds of the Baker River sockeye. Artificial spawning beds were constructed at the upper end of the new Baker Lake. An additional spawning beach was built on Sulfur Creek in 1990. All returning sockeye are trapped below Lower Baker Dam and transported to the artificial spawning beaches.
The Baker River also supports other fish such as Coho salmon
.
Skagit River
The Skagit River is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi long...
in northwestern Washington in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It drains an area of the high North Cascades
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in Canada as the Cascade Mountains...
in the watershed of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
north of Seattle, and east of Mount Baker
Mount Baker
Mount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
. With a watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of approximately 270 mi2 in a broad and deep valley partially inside North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the state of Washington. The park is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Several national wilderness areas and British Columbia parkland adjoin the...
, it is the last major tributary of the Skagit before the larger river reaches its mouth on Skagit Bay
Skagit Bay
Skagit Bay is a bay and strait located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Whidbey Island Basin of Puget Sound. The Skagit River empties into Skagit Bay. To the south, Skagit Bay connects with the rest of Puget Sound via Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound...
. The river flows through Concrete, Washington
Concrete, Washington
Concrete is a town in north-central Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 705 at the 2010 census. The town of Concrete is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Early history:...
near its mouth and has two hydroelectric dams owned by Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy is Washington state's oldest local energy utility providing electrical power and natural gas in the Puget Sound region of the northwest United States...
.
Course
The Baker River rises in the Cascade Range near Whatcom Peak, in the northern section of North Cascades National ParkNorth Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the state of Washington. The park is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Several national wilderness areas and British Columbia parkland adjoin the...
. It flows south, starting in the Baker River Valley north-east of Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan is a glaciated massif in the North Cascades National Park. Shuksan rises in Whatcom County, Washington immediately to the east of Mount Baker, and south of the Canadian border. The mountain's name Shuksan is derived from the Lummi word [šéqsən], said to mean "high peak". The highest...
. The river flows generally southwest through a steep glacial valley, receiving several short glacial-fed tributaries from surrounding mountains. Many of these tributaries harbor tall, but never officially measured waterfalls. Most of the southern half of the river is impounded in artificial lakes, both part of the Baker River Hydroelectric Project. The first reservoir is 9 miles (14.5 km)-long Baker Lake
Baker Lake (Washington)
Baker Lake is a lake in northern Washington in the United States. The lake is situated in the forested Baker River valley southwest of North Cascades National Park, and is fed by that river and numerous smaller tributaries. It lies about north of the city of Concrete.The lake covers an area of ...
, impounded by Upper Baker Dam
Upper Baker Dam
Upper Baker Dam is a dam spanning the Baker River in northern Washington in the United States of America. It is one of two dams on the river, the other one being the Lower Baker Dam a few miles downstream...
. (The lake was formerly a natural lake, until its level was raised by the 312 feet (95.1 m)-high dam.) Lake Shannon
Lake Shannon
Lake Shannon is a long, narrow reservoir on the Baker River in Skagit County in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed in the 1920s by the construction of an arch dam just above the river's mouth, the lake is approximately long and averages wide at full extent...
, impounded by Lower Baker Dam
Lower Baker Dam
Lower Baker Dam is a dam across the Baker River one mile north of Concrete, Washington. It forms a reservoir called Lake Shannon which stretches upstream. The dam is operated by Puget Sound Energy as part of the Baker River Hydroelectric Project.The dam has a thick arch design, and is high and ...
, begins immediately below Baker Lake and stretches about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) downstream. Below Lower Baker Dam the Baker River flows unimpeded (except for a small weir at a fish passage station) for about a mile before emptying into the Skagit River.
Most of Baker Lake is in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington extends more than along the western slopes of the Cascade Range from the Canadian border to the northern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Forest headquarters are located in the city of Everett....
. Upper Baker Dam is located in Whatcom County and Lower Baker Dam is located in Skagit County above the town of Concrete
Concrete, Washington
Concrete is a town in north-central Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 705 at the 2010 census. The town of Concrete is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Early history:...
. Both dams are owned by Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy is Washington state's oldest local energy utility providing electrical power and natural gas in the Puget Sound region of the northwest United States...
.
Natural history
Baker River sockeye are the only known sustaining population of Sockeye salmonSockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...
in the Skagit River drainage basin. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has determined the Baker River sockeye to be genetically distinct from other sockeye salmon. As of 1992 the condition of the population was listed as "critical". In 1985 only 92 adults were found to return to the river. Since the 1990s, however, the population has recovered somewhat, in part due to improvements in the smolt trapping and transportation system. A high of 20,235 fish were counted in 2003.
Before Lower Baker Dam was built in 1925 the fish had free access to the river and natural (pre-dammed) Baker Lake. The annual sockeye run at that time was estimated to be approximately 20,000 fish. Artificial enhancement began in 1896 when the State of Washington constructed a hatchery on Baker Lake. This was the first establishment for the hatching of sockeye salmon. The hatchery closed in 1933. The construction of Upper Baker Dam in 1959 inundated the natural Baker Lake and surrounding valley, including the spawning grounds of the Baker River sockeye. Artificial spawning beds were constructed at the upper end of the new Baker Lake. An additional spawning beach was built on Sulfur Creek in 1990. All returning sockeye are trapped below Lower Baker Dam and transported to the artificial spawning beaches.
The Baker River also supports other fish such as Coho salmon
Coho salmon
The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
.
Tributaries
Tributaries of the Baker are listed proceeding upstream. L and R denote left and right bank, respectively:- Thunder Creek (L)
- Bear Creek
- Rocky Creek (R)
- Sulphur Creek (R)
- Anderson Creek
- Sandy Creek (R)
- Park Creek (R)
- Swift CreekSwift Creek (Washington)Swift Creek is a southward-flowing tributary of the Baker River, about long, in Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises in glaciers near Table Mountain and Kulshan Ridge, and flows west before being joined by more glacial tributaries...
(R)- Morovitz Creek
- Shannon CreekShannon CreekShannon Creek is a short tributary to the Baker River in Whatcom County, Washington, near the southwest border of North Cascades National Park. It rises in two forks a few miles south of Mount Shuksan; the glacier-fed north fork begins at elevation , and the non-glacial south fork begins at...
(R) - Shuksan Lake Creek (R)
- Blum CreekBlum CreekBlum Creek is a small glacial tributary of the Baker River in Washington state, in the United States. It is sourced from the Hagen Glacier and another unknown glacier on the north face of Mount Blum, and flows approximately from there to its mouth at the Baker River...
(L) - Sulphide CreekSulphide CreekSulphide Creek is a glacial tributary of the Baker River in Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington, located within a steep and narrow canyon on the southeast flank of Mount Shuksan, inside North Cascades National Park. Although called a creek, it is river-like due to its high volume...
(R) - Bald Eagle Creek
- Pass Creek
- Picket Creek (L)
- Mineral Creek