The Tenmile Creek Watershed project is a volunteer local effort to improve the health of the Tenmile Creek watershed. Our watershed includes Tenmile Creek, Fourmile Creek, and Deer Creek. It is a common sense approach to match the landowner’s land use and management needs and our community’s desire and need to improve water quality for present and future generations. Our goal is to improve the health of our streams, including wildlife habitat, while maintaining our ability to farm and use our land.

Since this project began in 2001, over 200 families have participated. Together, we have walked their creek and looked at ways to improve the creek while improving their property. Over 11 miles of stream has been planted, 9 sites have received LWD, fish passages have been improved, and we are monitoring our progress with eight monitoring stations. See Tenmile Treasures Summer 2007 for a water quality update.

We have participated in the Farmers Growing Trees for Salmon program where we were given free trees for our streams. We took them home to improve fish habitat at no cost.

We have attended workshops to learn more about best management practices for our septic systems, our farms, and our creeks.

We met with our elders to hear stories from long ago. We learned how they lived in the early 1900s, how they used the land, and about how rich the county was in natural resources. To date twelve Tenmile creek residents have shared their memories and these are now archived at the Lynden Pioneer Museum.

This project began with a survey of the residences of the Tenmile Creek watershed. Over 25% responded. Four years later we, we again asked them for a response.  A short summary precedes the survey in its entirety, along with the comments shared. After taking a look, please email me your thoughts or comments. This project is about learning from each other. Thank you.

Learn what your neighbors have said. Click here to view responses (216 KB).


Tenmile Newsletter - learn what is happening in the Tenmile Creek Watershed.

• 2008 Spring (167KB PDF)
• 2008 Winter (380KB PDF)
• 2007 Summer (379KB PDF)
• 2007 Winter (218Kb PDF)
• 2006 Summer (680KB PDF)
• 2006 Winter (150KB PDF)
• 2005 Summer (432KB PDF)
• 2005 Winter (191KB PDF)
• 2004 Summer (122Kb PDF)
• 2004 Spring (110Kb PDF)
• 2004 Winter (217Kb PDF)
• 2003 Summer (598Kb PDF)

Other Publications for Tenmile

• Tenmile Creek Watershed, State of the Health (4.7 Mb PDF)

Please call with any comments, suggestions, and/or complaints.  Make an appointment today.  This project is about a watershed community hoping to create a healthier watershed for the next generation. Your participation is completely voluntary.  I look forward to the opportunity to meet you.

Dorie Belisle
Project Manager
doriebelisle@yahoo.com
360-398-9187