Skagit River System Cooperative

What Skagit River System Cooperative does

Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) is a non-profit tribal natural resources consortium, founded in 1976 and jointly governed by the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community through a six-member Board of Directors. It provides integrated fisheries management services within treaty-ceded usual and accustomed fishing areas covering the Skagit and Samish River basins in the Pacific Northwest, including harvest and hatchery management, population monitoring, habitat restoration, environmental review, and regulatory engagement. Authority is grounded in 1855 treaty rights that confer co-management status with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

SRSC operates through four core programs: Research and Recovery (salmon population monitoring, coded wire tag analyses, estuary restoration tracking, Chinook broodstock harvesting, and predictive modeling), Habitat Protection (multi-jurisdictional environmental review of permits and land use actions), Restoration (on-the-ground projects including dike setbacks, culvert upgrades, riparian planting, and floodplain reconnection), and Administration (accounting, payroll, HR, and grant/contract administration). Its core technology asset is the Skagit Water Temperature Database, an interactive central repository aggregating thermal regime data across the Skagit Basin to support scientists and policymakers, complemented by a searchable document library of peer-reviewed publications and recovery plans. Quantified operational outcomes include a targeted 60% increase in juvenile Chinook carrying capacity (from 2.25M to 3.6M estuary rearing fry annually), a 2,700-acre long-term marsh restoration target, the completed 28.9-acre Barnaby Reach floodplain project, and tracking of 200,000 fingerlings annually from release through return.

The business model is entirely grant- and contract-funded with no commercial revenue. Primary funding flows from the two member tribal governments plus federal grants (BIA, USFS, EPA, Pacific Salmon Commission) and Washington state grants (RCO/Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources), supplemented by partnerships with Seattle City Light, The Nature Conservancy, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Skagit County, and local watershed organizations. SRSC has approximately 32 staff organized across the four departments and is headquartered in Burlington, Washington, with a La Conner mailing address. There is no equity ownership, venture backing, or commercial pricing model.

Name

Skagit River System Cooperative

Legal name

Skagit River System Cooperative

Website

https://skagitcoop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skagit River System Cooperative is a non-profit tribal natural resources consortium jointly governed by the Sauk-Suiattle and Swinomish nations, providing fisheries management, habitat restoration, and environmental review within treaty-ceded Skagit and Samish River basins, funded primarily by tribal governments and federal and state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Natural Resource and Fisheries Management Services

NAICS

American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (92115), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Tribal fisheries management
• Salmon habitat restoration
• Natural resource management
• Watershed restoration services
• Environmental review services

Headquarters

HQ city

La Conner

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: SRSC operates primarily through grants and contracts from government agencies including Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington state agencies, and others. This funds salmon recovery, habitat restoration, and fisheries management activities.
2. Tribal Government Funding: Core funding and directives provided by member tribes Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community for natural resource management services within treaty-ceded fishing areas.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) provides natural resource management services for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community within their treaty-ceded usual and accustomed fishing areas (Skagit and Samish River basins). Services span fisheries management (harvest and hatchery operations), scientific research, environmental and regulatory review, habitat restoration, and administration, all aimed at recovering and protecting Skagit Chinook salmon and other treaty-protected resources.

Product overview

The Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) is a natural resources consortium offering an integrated suite of programs for tribal fisheries management. The core offerings include the Research and Recovery Program (monitoring salmon populations, estuary restoration, Chinook broodstock harvesting, and predictive modeling), Habitat Protection Program (regulatory review and environmental assessment), Restoration Program (on-the-ground habitat restoration), and the Skagit Water Temperature Database (centralized temperature data management). These programs work together under the Administration Program to support salmon recovery in the Skagit and Samish River basins for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Recovery Program Scientific research program focused on salmon population monitoring, recovery tracking, estuary habitat restoration monitoring, floodplain restoration tracking, Chinook broodstock harvesting, and predictive modeling for estuarine restoration design. Serves the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and fisheries co-managers.
• Habitat Protection Program Regulatory and environmental review program protecting fisheries resources from development impacts through review of land use permits, field surveys, stakeholder collaboration, and spatial and statistical analyses covering municipal, county, state, and federal processes. Serves member tribes and regulatory agencies.
• Restoration Program Habitat restoration program focused on protecting existing ecosystem processes and recovering landscape processes, implementing conservation biology principles through riparian planting, dike removal, road decommissioning, culvert upgrades, and bridge replacement projects. Serves member tribes and co-managers.
• Administration Program Administrative services including accounting, payroll, human resources, grant and contract administration, and office management supporting the cooperative's governance by the Board of Directors.
• Skagit Water Temperature Database A central database providing water temperature data collected by SRSC and other entities, featuring an interactive map of monitoring sites throughout the Skagit Basin for supporting scientists and policymakers in understanding thermal regimes and climate change impacts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% increase in juvenile Chinook salmon carrying capacity targeted through estuary restoration
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• Sauk-Suiattle Indian TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember tribe - one of two sovereign nations that govern and direct SRSC activities. Provides tribal representatives to Board of Directors and strategic direction for fisheries management within tribal fishing areas.
• Swinomish Indian Tribal CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember tribe - one of two sovereign nations that govern and direct SRSC activities. Provides tribal representatives to Board of Directors and strategic direction for fisheries management within tribal fishing areas.
• Northwest Indian Fisheries CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tribal fisheries commission supporting coordination among tribal natural resource agencies. Listed as both partner and granting agency.
• Washington Department of Fish and WildlifemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-manager of Skagit fisheries along with SRSC. Collaborates on harvest management, hatchery operations, and Chinook salmon recovery implementation including co-authoring the 2005 Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan.
• Washington Department of Natural ResourcesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner engaged in forest practices rules implementation and environmental review processes affecting salmon habitat.
• United States Forest Service - Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National ForestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for forest management and habitat protection within national forest boundaries in the Skagit watershed.
• Skagit CountyregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner engaged in land use planning, permits, and regulatory processes affecting fisheries resources.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partner engaged in habitat protection and restoration projects. Listed as both partner and granting agency.
• Seattle City LightmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility partner involved in hydroelectric project oversight and environmental compliance on Skagit and Baker Rivers. Listed as both partner and granting agency.
• Skagit Watershed CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal watershed organization coordinating salmon recovery efforts and stakeholder engagement across the Skagit Basin.
• Skagit Fisheries Enhancement GroupregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit organization focused on fisheries enhancement and habitat restoration in the Skagit watershed.
• Skagit Land TrustregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal land trust organization supporting habitat protection through land acquisition and conservation easements.
• Pacific Salmon CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational body ensuring Pacific Salmon Treaty compliance. SRSC data on coded wire tags supports exploitation rate analyses for Canadian fisheries intercepting Skagit Chinook.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Point No Point Treaty Council: Tribal consortium serving the Port Gamble S'Klallam and Jamestown S'Klallam tribes, providing fisheries and natural resource management under treaty rights. Closely comparable consortium structure serving two sovereign member tribes with hatchery and habitat programs.
• Yakama Nation Fisheries Program: Tribal natural resources program of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, conducting fisheries management, hatchery operations, and habitat restoration under treaty rights in the Columbia Basin. Comparable fisheries co-management mandate and restoration portfolio.
• Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission: Four-tribe consortium managing Columbia River fisheries with treaty rights, hatchery operations, research, and habitat restoration. Highly analogous structure and mission to SRSC, operating in a different but adjacent river basin.
• Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department: Tribal natural resources program managing fisheries, wildlife, and habitat for the Tulalip Tribes in the Snohomish and Stillaguamish basins. Adjacent geographic peer with similar treaty-based authority and salmon recovery focus.
• Lummi Natural Resources Department: Tribal natural resources program of the Lummi Nation managing fisheries, habitat, and wildlife in northern Puget Sound / Salish Sea. Comparable in scope (fisheries co-management, habitat restoration, treaty-based authority) and in working with WDFW on salmon recovery.
• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission: Regional tribal fisheries commission coordinating natural resource management among Western Washington tribes. Directly comparable as a tribal consortium providing fisheries management, co-management support, and policy advocacy to member tribes across overlapping geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: State agency that co-manages Skagit fisheries with SRSC under the 2005 Chinook Recovery Plan. A broader incumbent exercising overlapping fisheries, hatchery, and habitat authority across Washington, but as part of a much wider portfolio of species and regions.
• NOAA Fisheries (West Coast Region): Federal agency administering ESA listings, salmon recovery policy, and Pacific fisheries oversight that shape SRSC's regulatory environment and funding. Operates at vastly greater scale across the entire U.S. West Coast.

Others

• Pacific Salmon Commission: International body implementing the Pacific Salmon Treaty whose exploitation-rate analyses depend on coded wire tag data SRSC provides. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but closely linked through data and governance.

Emerging players

• The Nature Conservancy (Washington Chapter): Global conservation organization with major habitat protection and restoration work in the Skagit basin alongside SRSC. Comparable in restoration project delivery and as a partner/funder, but with a much broader conservation portfolio beyond fisheries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skagit-system-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skagit River System Cooperative