Tidegates keep salt water out of Skagit County farms. A legal battle has stalled repairs

Conservationists, tribes argue mitigation for impacts to salmon habitat are critical

By: Sophia Gates

Outlets: Cascadia Daily News

Published: July 24, 2026

Words: 1,625

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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In spring 2024, Owen Peth would look out every morning at the field he was leasing from another farmer to grow spinach.

He saw ground that was soaking wet from the rain and full of puddles. The ditches were full of water, too. These were worrying conditions for a farmer hoping for a successful crop, which costs thousands of dollars to plant. “My heart hurt,” Peth recalled.

Peth’s spinach field was saturated because …

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