For generations, Whatcom County's family farmers have taken stewardship of the land seriously.

In recent years, local family farmers have led hundreds of projects to restore streams, conserve water, protect salmon and so much more.

​Here are some of the highlights:

• Over 200 miles of streamside restored in Whatcom County alone, much of it alongside farm fields
• Six anaerobic manure digesters installed to generate green power and reduce bacterial contamination in over 12% of local dairy waste so far
• Nearly all raspberry and blueberry crops converted to water-saving drip irrigation
• $4.2 million in cost-share funding plus much more of farmers’ own money spent to install 10 large steel manure storage tanks, cover ditches and make other improvements on farms to protect water quality just since 2016
• Four farms currently volunteering as “Discovery Farms” where nearly $1 million worth of nutrient management research is being done on how to better protect water quality
• The dairy community supported and adopted some of the strictest manure regulations in the nation in 1998, and in the 20 years since have seen major improvements in water quality
• The dairy community secured funding through the Department of Agriculture to continue dairy inspections under the manure regulations when Ecology in early 2000s cut the inspections from their budget
• Over 25 farms preparing for extensive new DNA research to determine contamination sources
• At least 40 farms are currently using grant funding to build on-farm improvements to protect water quality
• Trumpeter swan recovery experts credit farmers for providing habitat for the over 20,000 swans that winter in northwest Washington
• Over 200 Whatcom County farms have developed nutrient management plans that help protect water quality. In 2017 alone, over 100 small farms signed up for new plans with the Whatcom Conservation District
• Hundreds of acres of farmland have been set aside for wildlife habitat including one 40 acre parcel between Lynden and Blaine
• Over $1 million in grant funding spent on fish passage improvements, including installing 3 new fish-friendly floodgates and replacing culverts with new bridges.

And these are just the highlights! There are many more stories that haven't been told, and many family farmers who are doing things big and small each day to protect the environment around them. If you know of more stories we should be sharing with the community, please email Dillon Honcoop at [email protected].

​The Bertrand is a relatively small stream that originates in Canada. For many years farmers near the stream had legal rights to withdraw irrigation water directly from the stream. Irrigation was needed at the driest times of the summer at the same time that the natural flows were lowest. The result was a decline in flow to the point of harming fish.

In 2004, farmers recognized the problem and formed the Bertrand Watershed Improvement District. This was the first of six farmer-led government entities formed to address water issues. Many farmers were already working hard at conserving water. Marty Maberry, co-owner of Maberry Packing, said the micro-irrigation now used by almost all berry farmers reduced the withdrawals for irrigation by half per acre. But this alone did not solve the problem of low flows.

From 2010 to 2016 a number of the farmers were approved to pull their irrigation water from nearby wells instead of the stream. This made a massive difference in stream flows, but at the same time, farmers were working on an innovative idea to increase flow even more: augmentation. This involved pumping water from a well into the creek at the time of lowest flow. 

They applied for the groundwater permit from the Washington Department of Ecology, and after over two years of delays, were finally granted approval. As the water flowed into the stream, a newly-designed structure aerated the water, refreshing it with a higher oxygen content and new life. Measurements confirmed that the flow had increased all the way to the river.

“Farmers understand this is something we need to do,” said Maberry. “Habitat is only one factor affecting fish, but it is one that as farmers we can address. This shows we understand the need for stream flow, for habitat and we respect and support tribal treaty rights.” 

According to Maberry, the Bertrand augmentation project is just a start. “We see many opportunities to improve habitat with this kind of farmer-led approach,” he said. “But we also look for more support from our government leaders including tribal leaders for help in securing the long delayed water rights that will allow us to continue to farm.”

The farming community is eager to keep the Bertrand stream a healthy place for local salmon and trout to thrive, something that may not have been possible had they not taken action.