Aquatic Reserve Non-Project Final Environmental Impact Statement Aquatic Reserves Program Implementation and Design Guidance Aquatic Reserve Plan Development (1,019KB PDF) Establishing New Aquatic Reserves Reserve Designation Criteria (263KB PDF) Site Evaluation Process (222KB PDF) Nomination Process Timeline (16KB PDF) Public Meeting Overview (288KB PDF) Fact Sheet (163KB PDF)
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Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve
The Cypress Island
Aquatic Reserve is a
unique mosaic of
state-owned uplands,
tidelands, and
bedlands. This
aquatic reserve
(which includes the
tidelands and
bedlands surrounding
Cypress Island,
Strawberry Island,
and Cone Island),
along with the
Cypress Island
Natural Resources
Conservation Area
and Natural Area
Preserve are being
managed for the
recovery and
preservation of
natural ecological
systems.
Cypress Island was selected as an aquatic reserve because the site represents valued aquatic resources, excellent upland conditions, and opportunities for coordinating upland, intertidal and subtidal management.
On August 1, 2007, Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland formally established the Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve and adopted the Cypress Island Comprehensive Management Plan. The plan includes management direction for the aquatic reserve and for the upland natural resources conservation area and natural area preserve. Privately owned property is not restricted by this management plan.
Commissioner's Order to be added (not available from DNR website as of 12/08/08)
Maps and Photographs of the Site
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The WA Department of Ecology has a collection of shoreline aerial photos of Cypress Island. |
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Cypress Island Site Map (941KB PDF), shown below. |
- Geographic Location
- The Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve is located in northwest Skagit County in the San Juan Archipelago. The site includes the state-owned tidelands and bedlands surrounding Cypress Island, including those adjacent to Strawberry Island and Cone Islands from the mean high tide line to one half mile from the extreme low tide. The site is bounded on the west by Rosario Strait, on the south and east by Bellingham Channel, and on the northeast by an unnamed channel.
- Site Ownership
- DNR manages 4,700 of the 5,500 acres of the island, including the 3,600-acre Natural Resources Conservation Area. The remainder is privately owned.
The state owns about 90 percent of the tidelands and about 85 percent of the adjacent uplands at the site. Uplands of the Cone Islands are owned and managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Uplands associated with Towhead Island are in private ownership.
- Ecological Characteristics
- With relatively little upland development, Cypress Island and the surrounding marine areas are unique natural resources in the San Juan Islands. Cypress Island is nearly pristine, with forest covering much of the island. The water surrounding the island is relatively free of impacts. Bald eagle nests are common near the shorelines. Endangered marbled murrelets feed in the waters surround the island. In addition, several archeological sites have been identified on the island.
The waters surrounding the island include several areas of complex rocky intertidal habitat that are home to lingcod and rockfish. Sea urchins and other invertebrates can be found in abundance around the island.
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Natural Resources of Cypress Island (280KB PDF) |
Reserve Management
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Cypress Island Comprehensive Management Plan, August 2007 (12,349KB PDF) |
- Allowable Uses
- As defined in the Cypress Island Comprehensive Management Plan, the only uses of state-owned aquatic lands that DNR will consider in the Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve include:
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Mooring buoys (public and private): Buoys must be constructed and used in such a way as to protect eelgrass and other sensitive aquatic habitat. Abandoned buoys within the Aquatic Reserve will regularly be identified and removed. |
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Secret Harbor docks: These docks will remain for use by DNR and other established easement holders. Any structural changes must improve on the environmental conditions created by the existing docks, such as reducing impacts to the intertidal area. |
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Deepwater Bay salmon net pen facilities: These facilities receive Atlantic salmon smolts from the nursery site at Similk Bay for grow-out and harvest. Fish rearing and holding pens cause shading and concentrate fish waste that can cause disease outbreaks due to the confinement of a large number of fish in a relatively small area. There are also threats of negative interactions with native species, predation, and impacts to the local benthic community. The management plan includes requirements designed to minimize the negative effects of this use, and opportunities for the facility to support the goals and objectives of the reserve such as through water quality monitoring and species monitoring. |
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Research and monitoring: DNR will work with anyone interested in proposing research in support of the reserve’s goals and objectives. |
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Commercial and recreational fishing: Commercial and recreational fisheries are managed by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington’s treaty tribes. |
Information Used to Evaluate Site for Aquatic Reserve Designation
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Cypress Island Withdrawn Area (941KB PDF) |
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Shoreline Modification as Measured by Washington DNR (60KB PDF) |
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Cypress Island Zoning Designations (147KB PDF) |
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Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve Proposal (1,413KB PDF) |
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Cypress Island Technical Advisory Committee Recommendation (14KB PDF) |
- Existing Research
- Three theses written by graduate students at Western Washington University provide current information on the Cypress Island resource:
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Harbor Seal Abundance and Habitat Use Relative to Candidate Marine Reserves in Skagit County, Washington by Adria S. Banks (1,064KB PDF) |
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Survey of Nearshore Demersal Fishes within Candidate Marine Reserves in Skagit County, Washington by Andrew J. Weispfenning (2,810KB PDF) |
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Variability of Groundfish Populations in the Proposed Marine Reserves of Skagit County, Washington by Henry Valz (1,857KB PDF) |
- Collaborative Process
- The DNR Aquatic Reserves Program recognizes the importance of involving the public in designating and managing Aquatic Reserves. To this end, DNR staff worked closely with Cypress Island private property owners to develop strategies for managing private mooring buoys on public owned lands. DNR staff also supported Cypress Island stakeholders by producing the public education and technical materials linked on this page, including:
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Cypress Island Site Overview (306KB PDF) |
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Cypress Island Open House Presentation (246KB PDF) |
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November 3, 2005 Open House Information (454KB PDF) |
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Comments from Open House Public Meeting on November 3, 2005 (10KB PDF) |
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