The Duckabush estuary has been degraded for almost 100 years by a wall of highway fill that nearly severs the ecological connection of the estuary to the tidelands. WDFW and HCSEG, in partnership with USACE and WSDOT, is proposing to correct this legacy environmental impact and restore the Duckabush River estuary. The estuary is important habitat for salmon and other fish and wildlife including several species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The project would reconnect the river to its floodplain and wetlands by removing highway fill across the estuary, modifying local roads, elevating Highway 101 onto an estuary-spanning bridge, and reconnecting historical channels. Road run-off will be collected and treated on-site and 4 undersized culverts will be addressed as part of the project to improve connectivity and fish passage.Construction phase funding from this request will bring to fruition 2 decades of collaboration and investment in the Puget Sound Nearshore by a consortium of partners that formed the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP) to identify opportunities for process-based shoreline habitat restoration.Located primarily on WDFW-managed lands in the Duckabush Unit of the North Olympia Wildlife Area, the project supports several species listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA: Puget Sound steelhead, Chinook, and Hood Canal summer chum. Coho, pink, and fall chum salmon also inhabit the Duckabush.