WDFW to use drone to survey Milltown Island in South Fork Skagit River

MILL CREEK – Scientists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will use a drone to survey habitat conditions on WDFW-managed lands on the Milltown Island Unit of Skagit Wildlife Area near Conway.

Drone flights may occur, weather permitting, during daylight hours Oct. 2, 2023 through Oct. 1, 2024. Flights will not occur during days open to waterfowl or gamebird hunting.

Flights will travel over WDFW-managed lands and the adjacent Skagit River collecting photos and video to inform habitat restoration planning and analysis of changes to the site over time. The area will remain open to the public. Any flights over adjacent private parcels will be conducted with the landowners' approval.

Drone flights will be conducted by WDFW staff or WDFW-approved contractors with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft System Remote Pilot certification and will follow FAA and WDFW policies. Visual line of sight will be maintained to avoid wildlife disturbance.

The Milltown Island Estuary Restoration Project is located on a 220-acre site on a mid-channel island in the South Fork Skagit River near Skagit Bay. The area was once entirely tidal marsh but was diked and drained by early homesteaders. Plans include restoring a rich mosaic of estuary and marsh habitats for salmon, waterfowl, shorebirds, beaver, and other fish and wildlife by removing dikes, constructing channels and planted mounds, and restoring tidal and river flows.

Access to Milltown Island is only by boat. Channels built for salmon will also provide improved recreational access. Several low angle landings are planned to provide places for recreational visitors to more easily land a boat and walk onto the site.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.