Mastodawn

Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it

A new levee built by the #StillaguamishTribe separates farmland from newly restored #wetlands

by John Ryan, May 3, 2026

"Tribal officials say their habitat projects will help people as well as #salmon the next time floodwaters rise.

"With restored #floodplains, more of the #StillaguamishRiver's destructive surges can spread out and dissipate before causing harm.

"The Stillaguamish Tribe built a new levee last year, farther back from the river, before removing the old levee.

" 'By giving the river more space, we are reducing the damage and the expense to society to maintain infrastructure. It's cheaper to maintain if you stay further away,' Griffith says."

Read more:
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/03/nx-s1-5806062/washington-tribe-restore-wetlands-fish