Services & Island Businesses
Last update: February 18, 2010
Samish Island Fire Department Page | Samish Farms Water Assn. | Community Club Page | Other Island Services (off-island providers) | Publications Page | Island Businesses Page |
Samish Island Fire Department #5
The fire department is made up a highly-trained volunteer force. They perform all emergency services required on the island. Read more details of their equipment, services and crew on the Fire Department Web page.
Samish Farms Water Association
The water associaton supervises water acquisition, infrastructure and quality for Samish Island property owners. The Water Association was formed in 1952 as a non-profit corporation. Water on the island, and to the fire hydrants, comes from the Skagit River, through Skagit P.U.D. There are currently 483 water certificates maintained by the Samish Farms Water Association. They publish an annual newsletter in the summer. Here is the 2009 Newsletter.
Community Club
The Samish Island Community Club offers various services to island residents. Check the SICC page for additional information.
Other Community Services
Phone Service | Mail Service | Cable Service | Waste Disposal | Schools | Hospitals | Bus Service | Libraries | Public Boat Launches | Real Estate | Animal Control
Phone service (land lines) to the island is provided by Verizon. The telephone area code is (360).
Mail Delivery: The postal zip code of Samish Island is 98232. The post office for Samish Island is located at Bow, Washington, 7 miles east of the island. Mail is delivered daily, or islanders rent p.o. boxes.
Cable television and high speed Internet via cable modem is provided by Wave Broadband. There is no access to DSL or ISDN. Wireless networking is available through Clearwire or Fidalgo.net. Dial-in access to various ISP's is still available.
Waste & Garbage: All homes on the island have septic systems. Garbage service is available on the island, through Waste Management, Inc.
Schools: Students on the island go to the Burlington-Edison School District. Elementary students go to Edison Elementary K-8 and high school students to Burlington Edison High School. View the Washington State report card for the Burlington- Edison district.
Hospitals: Samish Island is in hospital district #304, served by United General Hospital. Two other hospitals are also located in Skagit County - Skagit Valley Hospital, and Island Hospital in Anacortes.
Transportation: Skagit Transit or SKAT, provides limited transportation to the island two days a week (Monday and Thursday) through Pocket Service Areas, which requires advanced registration (360) 757-4433, or toll-free at (877) 584-7528. Seniors and people with disabilities who qualify for Skagit Transit's Dial-A-Ride service will be provided curb to curb service or curb to bus service, as outlined in their eligibility letter. Van Pooling is also an option, if 5 or more residents can arrange it.
Libraries: Samish Island does not belong to any library district. Residents of the island who wish to use library services must pay annual fees to nearby libraries. Check these links to libraries.
Boat Launches: There are no public boat launches on Samish Island. The nearest public boat launch is at Bayview, with others located at the Swinomish Boat Launch below the Duane Berentson bridge, one in La Conner under the Rainbow Bridge, and one at Washington Park in Anacortes.
Real Estate and Homes for Sale: There are various "Multiple listings services" for Skagit County or Whatcom County which list Samish Island homes and real estate for sale. The island is considered part of Bow, Washington for postal and other services. Trulia.com also lists homes for sale in the area - type 98232 in search field.
Animal Control: If you see farm animals wandering about the island, try contacting the owner first, if you know where the animals live. Perhaps a gate was left open by accident. If you receive no response, report the animal(s) to 911, and once more to Emily Diaz of Animal Control, 360-428-3211. This has been Animal Control's recommended procedure for Samish Islanders for the past several years, and includes horses, mules, donkeys, cattle, goats, sheep, swine, or any such animals. Washington State Law holds the owner responsible for any damage to property. 8/19/09
On-Island Businesses
Residents who have a small business on the island may list on our business page. SICC and provide a link to a web page for $10, one time fee, if you are a dues-paying SICC member.