Viewfinder: The Slough is Hopping!

Editor's Note: Long-time Woodinville resident Scott Garside has been taking photos of the slough for nearly a decade. He's shared some of his best wildlife photos with Patch.

On your next walk along the  during these idyllic summer days and evenings, take a look into the Slough itself. One of Woodinville’s greatest and most unique treasures, the Sammamish Slough is host to an abundance of flora and fauna.

With a little patience and sharp eyes, you can easily spot and observe beavers and river otters. Living up to their reputation, the beavers are the larger, more deliberate and industrious ones. River otters are smaller, faster and friskier. They’ll eagerly play with pine cones tossed to them; at least until they find that it’s not food. The diligent observer can also spot weasels, voles and the occasional coyote along the banks. 

Resident Great Blue Herons can be seen patiently and efficiently fishing for smolt. Their loud prehistoric squawk is pterodactyl-like. Bald Eagles are often about and it’s not unusual to see one snag a fish out of the water. It’s also not uncommon to see them engaged in an aerial dogfight with crows and occasionally with the very territorial Redwing Blackbird; even at a fraction of the eagle’s weight and size. 

Other avian residents include ubiquitous Canada Geese and Mallard ducks, but there are occasional visits from Cormorants and Merganser ducks with their sporty red hair-dos.  

The Slough is a healthy and active salmon run. This time of year you can see smolt returning to the Sound, and the accompanying Cutthroat Trout and Pikeminnow who feed on them.  Throughout the year, Coho, Chinook and Sockeye salmon, as well as Steelhead can be plentiful, as they swim up-stream to spawn. 

According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, fishing in the Slough is open from January 1 through August 31. Fishing licenses are mandatory, selective gear rules apply and gas-powered conveyances are strictly prohibited. Trout are catch-and-release only. Other game fish can be taken according to state limits for minimum size and daily limits. 

Oh, and that occasional odor? It’s from a parallel sewer pipeline; not the Slough. 

So next time you’re out for a walk, a skate or a bike ride, take a few minutes to see who else might be out there with you! 

For more information on the Sammamish Slough and its history, visit the Woodinville Heritage Society.