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Yellow and Low Islands
Marine Preserve
WAC
220-16-440(4): "All tidelands and bedlands within 300 yards
of Yellow Island and 300 yards of Low Island." Effective
since 3/31/1990.
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| CLICK
IMAGE TO ENLARGE MAP
 
Geographic
Statistics
| Area
Type |
Acres |
Hectares |
| Intertidal |
1.54 |
0.62 |
| Subtidal |
185.65 |
75.13 |
| Total |
187.18 |
75.75 |
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Links
to other imagery about this site
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| Yellow
Island, seen from the SW
Low Island,
seen from the NE
 |
| Recreational
Restrictions / Openings |
| Species |
Status |
Comments,
notes... |
| Salmon |
Closed |
|
| Trout |
Open |
|
| Bottomfish |
Closed |
|
| Shellfish |
Closed |
|
| Forage
Fish |
Limited |
Fishing
only for herring is allowed. |
| Unclassified |
Open |
|
| Commercial
Restrictions / Openings |
| Species |
Status |
Comments,
notes... |
| Salmon |
Closed |
|
| Bottomfish |
Closed |
|
| Shellfish |
Closed |
|
| Forage
Fish |
Limited |
Fishing
only for herring is allowed. |
| Unclassified |
Closed |
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| Introduction
and Purpose |
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The Yellow and Low Islands Marine Preserve is one of the
five San Juan Marine Preserves created in 1990 in conjunction
with the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories
(FHL). WDWF created these partial-take reserves after
FHL requested that the intertidal and subtidal waters
adjacent to their upland biological preserves be protected
from harvesting pressure for bottomfish and invertebrates.
The primary goals of this reserve are
to foster stewardship of unique or important resources
or habitats, provide research and education areas, and
provide baseline areas or reference sites. |
| Prominent
and unique features |
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The Yellow and Low Island Marine Preserve surrounds two
islands in San Juan Channel and forms a unique insular
zone of protection in the northern inland marine waters
of Washington.
The larger Yellow Island is composed of bedrock and
eroding sedimentary material that forms a low-bank shoreline
on the south, and a slightly higher bluff on the north
side of the island.
Low Island is primarily low and flat bedrock outcropping
to the northeast of Yellow Island. Jagged rocky ridges
and fields of boulders surround much of the island in
the subtidal zone, extending to depths of over 100 feet
(mllw). These substrates form precipitous walls and
many crevices for fishes and invertebrates to hide.
Bladed kelps such as Laminaria saccharina and
foliose red algae cover the rocky habitats in the photic
zone. Kelp beds consisting of bull kelp (Nereocystis
leutkeana) border sections of the island. |
| Description
of fish, bird, and mammal resources at the site |
|
The rocky habitats provide the habitat for rockfishes
and greenlings. Dominant species include copper rockfish
(Sebastes caurinus), quillback rockfish (S.
maliger), Puget Sound rockfish (S. emphaeus),
lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), and kelp greenling
(Hexagrammos decagrammus). |
| Programs
in place to manage the site |
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WDFW manages the site as partially-protected marine reserve
for non-tribal citizens. WDFW regulations prohibit commercial
and recreational fishing for bottomfish and classified
shellfish. Recreational and commercial fishing may occur
for the harvesting of salmon, trout, and forage fishes
except that commercial fisheries for forage fishes are
limited to Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasii).
WDFW regulations allow the taking of unclassified fish
and invertebrates by recreational fishers.
The Nature Conservancy owns most of the upland portions
of the site and this institution can be considered as
co-managers. The preserve was created at the request
of the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories
as a place for researchers to study and access marine
organisms in a natural condition. The Nature Conservancy
has posted many signs in the upland habitat declaring
it a biological preserve and has an agreement with WDFW
to provide shore-based signs declaring a restricted
fishing zone. There is a resident site manager on Yellow
Island who actively informs boaters of the fishing restrictions.
The enforcement of the harvest restrictions is primarily
relegated to the Enforcement Program of WDFW. Information
on the site boundaries and restrictions is found in
WDFW's Sport Fishing Pamphlet and formal regulations
are published at the State of Washington's Administrative
Code available on the state's web site. WDFW is developing
specific pamphlets describing each of its marine reserves.
WDFW scientists conduct occasional surveys of the fish
community during which species are identified, counted,
and measured. Research conducted at the Friday Harbor
Marine Preserve is used to evaluate the effectiveness
of reserves in San Juan Channel. |
| Issues
of concern |
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The allowance of recreational fishing for salmon and the
subsequent unintentional harvest of other species may
limit the ability of fish populations to increase to natural
levels.
Anchoring by recreational boaters and researches may
cause damage to the substrate and the habitat for bottomfish
and invertebrates.
The remote location of the San Juan Marine Preserves
makes enforcement difficult.
The reserve is located in a heavy use area by recreational
and commercial passenger vessels. A potential threat
exists from vessel collisions or groundings and subsequent
oil discharge into the reserve. |
| Performance
measures |
| The
continued presence of a diverse fish community.
Increasing
or sustained abundances of copper rockfish and lingcod.
Increasing
and sustained large individual sizes of copper rockfish
and lingcod.
The
increasing or sustained high nesting activity by lingcod. |
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