10/28/2026
Before roads, fences, and drainage ditches reshaped the San Juan Islands, streams and wetlands connected our valleys, forests, and shorelines.
For generations, these freshwater ecosystems supported wildlife, sustained Coast Salish communities, and helped shape the islands we know today.
Over time, many wetlands were drained, creeks altered, and natural waterways fragmented. Yet traces of these once-connected systems remain, and protecting them is more important than ever.
Over the next five weeks, we'll be sharing stories of how freshwater shaped our islands' past and why restoring these vital ecosystems matters for their future.
Read the first article, The Creeks Beneath the Fields, and follow along as we explore the impacts of a changing climate on our freshwater systems, the remarkable role beavers can play in restoring healthy watersheds, and what you can do as a San Juan County resident to help protect and restore one of our most precious natural resources: water. 💧
This article is the first of a five part journalism series by the San Juan Islands Conservation District on streams and wetlands in the islands, and what people can do to restore them.On summer mornings in the San Juan Islands, the freshwater world can feel almost imaginary. Streams are often hidden...
