Nooksack Watershed Description:
The Nooksack watershed drains the western slopes of the Cascade Range in northwestern Washington State. Although most of its watershed lies within the boundaries of Whatcom County, it also drains several streams in Canada and Skagit County. Elevations in the Nooksack watershed range from 10,778 feet at Mt. Baker to sea level, where the river enters Bellingham and Lummi Bays in the northern Puget Sound estuary. The Nooksack River is comprised of three forks (North, Middle, and South). The North and Middle forks flow westward through steep, heavily forested terrain and join to form a main stem channel 40 miles upstream of the estuary. The South Fork joins the other forks near RM 36 of the Nooksack River.