DESCRIPTION
South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group restored nearshore processes and habitat by removing ~ 800 foot of armoring from the base of an historic feeder bluff near Edgewater Beach and Hunter Point, Olympia, WA. Effects of the bulkhead and armoring on the shoreline ecosystem include direct burial of habitat in the inter-tidal zone, the suppression of sediment input from the feeder bluff, and interruption of inputs from detritus and freshwater springs. Since the site is near the up-drift end of the drift cell, it is assumed to affect the sediment supply for the down-drift areas and thus the underlying geology and habitat formation for the drift cell. This project addressed the root causes of degradation along the nearshore environment and within the drift cell. Removing the bulkhead and groin allows the sediment supply from the feeder bluff to enter the system unhindered and direct nearshore beach habitat will be gained. ESRP helped produce the monitoring and stewardship plan, collection of baseline monitoring, and conduction of the year 1 beach monitoring effort. This project is intended to benefit target salmonid species such as Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Chum Salmon, and Cutthroat Trout, as well as other marine taxa.
The South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group removed 791 feet of armoring from the base of an historic feeder bluff near Edgewater Beach, Hunter Point, Olympia, WA, thereby restoring nearshore processes and beach habitat. Effects of the bulkhead/armoring on the shoreline ecosystem included direct burial of habitat in the inter-tidal zone, the suppression of sediment input from the feeder bluff, and interruption of detritus inputs and freshwater springs. Since the site is near the up-drift end of the drift cell, it is assumed to affect the sediment supply for the down-drift areas and, thus, the underlying geology and habitat formation processes for the drift cell. This project addressed the root causes of degradation along the nearshore environment and within the drift cell. By removing the bulkhead/armor, the sediment supply from the feeder bluff can now enter the system unhindered and direct nearshore beach habitat will be gained. This project was intended to benefit target salmonid species such as Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Chum Salmon, and Cutthroat Trout, as well as other marine taxa.
This project was funded with a combination of $161,455.79 Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) and $49,300 Estuary Salmon Restoration and Preservation (ESRP) funds. The SRFB funds were comprised of $75,000 in state funding and $86,455.79 in federal PACSRF funds. $39,600 of ESRP funds were used as match for SRFB for a total SRFB project cost of $201,056. The remaining $9,700 of ESRP funds were used to produce the monitoring plan, collect baseline monitoring, and conduct the year 1 beach monitoring effort, which were not included in the SRFB-funded project. The original estimated total SRFB project cost was $172,502. A cost increase was necessary to account for higher permitting costs, having to remove tie-logs from behind the bulkhead that were not known to exist at the time of application, and construction bids coming in higher than expected.
