Surface Water Management Division

Nearshore Habitat Protection

Protection of the nearshore habitat of Snohomish County is a priority for the Marine Resources Program for many reasons.  The nearshore area serves as critical habitat for shellfish, forage fish, salmon, marine mammals and seabirds.  Alteration of nearshore habitat is one of the most pressing threats to the Puget Sound ecosystem.
 

Projects

• Kayak Point County Park Restoration
  Partners: Snohomish County Parks and Recreation, People for Puget Sound, WSU beach Watchers, Snohomish-Camano Nearshore Cooperative
  Description: Conduct a feasibility and design study to assess the potential for beach/backshore restoration enhancement and develop design alternatives for the 150ft bulkhead along the southwestern shoreline.
  Project Status: Current 2008

• Jetty Island Beach Expansion Monitoring
  Partners: Pentec Environmental, Port of Everett
  Description: Evaluate the success of using dredged Snohomish River sands to extend the length of Jetty Island as essential habitat.  Five profile monitoring surveys using volunteers will occur in order to determine changes in elevation and slope, rates of sediment erosion and accumulation, and rates of colonization by vegetation.
  Project Status: Ongoing 2007-2008

• Candidate Sites Analysis
  Partners: Northwest Straits Commission
  Description: Identify candidate sites for protection and restoration of marine resources within the marine nearshore area of Snohomish County.  For each site, narrative site descriptions are provided, potential projects highlighted, and conclusions/recommendations are given.
  Project Status: Delayed; 80% complete

• Osprey Nest Relocation
  Partners: Pilchuck Audubon Society, Tulalip Tribes, WA Department of Natural Resources
  Description: Install concrete pilings to replace nesting sites for the osprey population in Port Gardner Bay to ensure long-term survival of the colony after future removal of creosote pilings by the WA Department of Natural Resources.
  Project Status: Current 2008

• Creosote Survey & Removal
  Partners: WSU Beach Watchers and WA Department of Natural Resources
  Description: Survey all Snohomish County public beaches for creosote logs and remove creosote logs at “hot spots” in the County, such as on Jetty Island.
  Project Status: Ongoing

• Picnic Point/Kayak Point Stewardship – Sound Stewards
  Partners: People For Puget Sound
  Description: Coordinate with People For Puget Sound to recruit and train Sound Stewards volunteers to design a restoration management plan at Picnic Point and Kayak Point.
  Project Status: Ongoing

• Shore Stewards Program
  Partners: WSU Beach Watchers
  Description: Educate shoreline residents about the issues pertinent to shoreline and encourage them to be responsible landowners.
  Project Status: Ongoing

• Landowner Workshops
  Partners: Puget Sound Partnership, WSU Beach Watchers, Snohomish County Public Works, Stillaguamish Tribe, Tulalip Tribes, People for Puget Sound, and Rosary Heights Nunnery, City of Everett, City of Edmonds, City of Mukilteo, and others.
  Description: Half-day workshops to educate shoreline landowners on issues such as landslides, vegetation on slopes, natural lawn care, and low impact development.
  Project Status: Ongoing

• Forage Fish Spawning Habitat Survey
  Partners: WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northwest Straits Commission
  Description: Identifying and mapping sand lance, surf smelt, and pacific herring spawning habitat along the Snohomish County nearshore.
  Project Status: Map developed 2004; Anticipated surveys in future.

• Eelgrass Mapping and Protection (Link to maps)
  Partners: Tulalip Tribes and Stillaguamish Tribe
  Description: Compile GIS data on intertidal eelgrass and conduct eelgrass surveys below the intertidal zone along the Snohomish County shoreline.
  Project Status: Map developed 2007

• Photopoint Monitoring Study
  Partners: Northwest Straits Commission
  Description: Determine future changes in shoreline vegetation at Picnic Point and Kayak Point.
  Project Status: Ongoing

• Marine Shore Inventory
  Partners: Northwest Straits Commission
  Description: Collected data on Snohomish County marine shore conditions, such as physical habitat structure, hydromodifications, outfalls, riparian vegetation, and intertidal vegetation.
  Project Status: Completed 2003 

Links and Resources

Contact

Kathleen Herrmann, Marine Steward, 425-388-6414

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