Cold Weather Flowers

 

Galanthus Snowdrops

Our cold weather has ended in northwest Washington. It reached 50 F today with misty rain. Given that I had a water venture via kyak I was glad for the warm up although it was 43 F with light rain when I started out.

I noted the above snowdrops on a morning walk about when the temperature was 18 F. They get a head start on the grass next to chunk of the British Columbia Coast Range brough by the last glacial period. 

On the same walk I noted Salix scouleriana in bloom in a sunny spot at the edge of the forest. 

This willow is a native tree. Further back in the forest there is willow that fell a few years ago. The tree was 60 feet tall before falling. But the tree is still alive and the willow patch has thus begun to expand.

During the cold period the patch of Helleborus that had been in full bloom before the cold had hunkered down in its shady north aspect location. 

But post cold the flowers had opened up again.

1950 Jackson Creek, Skagit County Debris Flow

The Highway 9 corridor from Sedro-Wooley to Kendal follows the Samish River Valley and then after crossing a very subtle divide follows the South Fork Nooksack River Valley. I previously noted the alluvial fans associated with steams that flow into the Sanish River Valley (alluvial-fans-altering-samish-river).

Doing some review of the valley I came across this 1950 aerial of Jackson Creek with a recent debris flow scar path and deposit on the alluvial fan that extends out onto the Samish Valley floor.  

Jackman Creek 1950 with debris flow scar and debris flow deposit

Timber harvests have started up again in the Jackson Creek watershed, but the creek and the steep slopes near the creek have been partially buffered versus the previous log everything approach. The other substantive change is road construction across stream subject to debris flows have generally improved to reduce the risk of the road causing a debris flow. That said the creek is lined with steep unstable slopes and future slope failures and accumulation of debris  

Jackson Creek (2023, Skagit County) 

The Jackson Creek alluvial fan has resulted in a lake upstream from the fan and there is a lake down stream that is influenced by another alluvial fan at Mill Creek. Both of these lakes may also be influenced by beaver activity. Mill Creek had a debris flow in 1983 that resulted in a fatality.  

Lidar bare earth (via Skagit County)

It appears that a fairly large berm was built post the debris flow. There is a gap in the berm where a natural gas pipline was constructed. The dredge spoils are on the distill end of the fan and this spot may need periodic dredging to keep the creek passing under the railroad.