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Biodiversity of Wildlife - Animals and Plants - in King County, Washington State

Mouth of the Tolt River
A Historical Comparison - 1937 to 2000

These two photos show the lower Tolt River with and without levees. The 1937 photo documents a meandering channel with multiple side channels and other connections to off-channel habitats. The mix of channel types provides a wide variety of flow speeds and depths which are necessary for different life stages of salmon and their food. The relatively straight channel shown in the 2000 photo lacks channel complexity and therefore is less productive fish habitat.

1937 photo

2000 photo

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