The Adopt A Stream Foundation (AASF) will be conducting a free Bear Creek Watershed Forum at 7 p.m. on March 27 at the Redmond Regional Library, 15990 N.E. 85th St.

Bear Creek flows from its headwaters near the Paradise Valley Conservation Area in Snohomish County, downstream into King County and the City of Redmond before entering the Sammamish River and flowing into Lake Washington to Puget Sound via the Ballard Locks.

According to AASF Director Tom Murdoch, Bear Creek is one of the most productive salmon streams connected to the Sammamish River system.

“Chinook, silver, sockeye and kokanee salmon call Bear Creek home, as do steelhead, resident and sea-run cutthroat trout, sculpin and brook lamprey,” says Murdoch.

Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) studies show that Bear Creek is suffering from a variety of pollutants including fecal coliform bacteria, as well as abnormally high water temperatures. Washington State Department of fish and Wildlife records show that the salmon runs are declining.

Thanks to support from a WDOE grant, AASF has been making some positive changes in the watershed. During the last three years, AASF’s Stream Team has been walking “door to door” along Bear Creek requesting permission from streamside landowners to evaluate the ecological health of the stream on their property and to “prescribe” corrective actions to any water quality or fish habitat degradation problems that were discovered.

AASF Ecologist Brooke Clement says, “We received very positive responses from landowners, identified several opportunities to improve Bear Creek’s condition and developed great partnerships that have resulted in: 2.7 acres of restored riparian zone over 0.9 miles, installed 10 fish habitat structures and made 600 face-to-face contacts with local watershed residents and volunteers.” Clement advises that a great team of partners has evolved including the Bear Creek Water Tenders, local watershed residents who have been longtime stewards of Bear Creek.

“Everyone who lives works and recreates in the Bear Creek watershed is invited to the Bear Creek Watershed Forum to learn more about the creek’s problems, corrective actions that have been completed and what new steps are needed,” says Clement.

The Sammy the Salmon mascot will open the “confluence” by describing the life cycle of Bear Creek salmon with an underwater video.

For information, call (425) 316-8592 or visit www.streamkeeper.org.