The Turn Point Salt Marsh Restoration Project will remove an unnecessary rockery from the front of a coastal wetland and restore natural processes for intertidal beach, backshore and salt marsh habitats. The rockery does not provide any property protection services and is situated at an accretionary beach in the upper beach and backshore habitat. The rockery completely blocks tidal exchange between the salt marsh and the marine environment. Restoration of hydrologic connectivity is expected to naturally improve the condition and function of the salt marsh, an important and rare coastal habitat type within San Juan County. To restore the salt marsh and beach habitat, over 60 cubic yards of rock will be removed from 200 linear feet of shoreline, freeing upper beach habitat and enabling reformation of the natural berm and tidal channel.

The Turn Point Salt Marsh Restoration Project will also improve fish passage between the coastal wetland and the marine environment, opening the habitat for juvenile salmon and forage fish. In addition, removing the modification and potentially nourishing the beach will restore suitable forage fish spawning substrate for surf smelt and Pacific sand lance in the area now covered with boulders.