Island County initiated the Iverson Stakeholder Integration Project with the main goal of working with community members to evaluate the possibilities of developing a multi-benefit project that balances the needs of community with a habitat gain for listed species at Iverson Preserve. The Project had two concurrent phases, one was the data collection and synthesis of sedimentation and groundwater interactions for the Iverson Preserve and the second was the stakeholder integration phase intended to define the most successful community-approved alternative of conceptual design. The data collection and synthesis characterization was to assist with the assessments of current drainage issues and determine acceptable alternatives for restoration at this site. Island County Public Works will make the final decision on any upcoming drainage improvements at Iverson Preserve. The community-led conversation attempted to come up with creative recommendations that could be incorporated into a multi-benefit project. The Iverson Task Force is a self-selected group of 27 members comprised of park patrons, Long Beach residents, Island County staff, Audubon/birding interest, Friends of Camano Island Parks, and the Mosquito Board. The group was formed to assess community values, vet concerns, and discuss creative, potential, multi-benefit solutions that could be possible at Iverson Preserve. The group came together for 12 meetings to gather relevant information for discussions on potential solutions for drainage and habitat improvements. The Task Force had two brainstorming sessions to discuss general thoughts and possible solutions for drainage and habitat improvements at the Preserve. A map of the Iverson Preserve was used to write down ideas and sketch out potential solutions. Jim Johannessen with Coastal Geologic Services provided feedback on some of these ideas from an engineering perspective. Overall impressions: • Assumptions about the drainage from the marsh becoming slower and less effective have been confirmed by the CGS data. • The spit has extended so the outfall must travel further to drain into Port Susan. CGS has found that there is significant increase in sedimentation since 1954. • The existing channel may break through the south end of the spit (known as a “channel avulsion”), which these types of systems have been known to do, and exit into a deeper part of Port Susan closer to the homes on the spit. This would effectively shorten the channel and may improve drainage efficiency. It would also, however, alter the existing tidal circulation and existing habitat in the marsh. • The difference in the sand texture is drastic. It used to be that you didn’t sink when you walked out to the spit; now you sink in mud very quickly • The tidal channel and ditches needs the flow behind the tide gate to allow flushing. Tide gates: • A new tide gate through the Iverson Preserve to Port Susan from parking lot (west to east) may be a good drainage solution. This would shorten the distance the field water has to travel and will be discharged to deeper water. • Create new outfalls across County easements below the spit and pump the field water to the area in front of the houses. • Use the old tide gate (~pre 1980s) on south tip (probably hadn’t worked since 1950s) to drain out water to the south. • Remove material from the front of the beach and put it back into the marsh. Ditches, beavers and mosquitos: • The purpose of the ditch was to get the water out when flooded. Since it is no longer working, it could be filled to remove the mosquito problem. • Jay Lawrence shared droned photography of the Iverson marsh flooded fields and beaver dam from Friday, May 18th, 2017. • The beaver dam causes more flooding in the fields causing more mosquitos. Usually, in an ecosystem, you would have fish feeding on mosquito larvae. The fish are being blocked from entering the marsh area. Engineering the area to be a more natural habitat would take care of the mosquitos. • One of the ideas for getting rid of beavers was to increase the tidal influence. There are tidal tolerant beavers; therefore, increasing tidal activity will likely not repel them. • Making the pond deeper would improve habitat (for fish) and may help improve field drainage. • Create a channel along the bluff toe to intercept water from upland areas and drain it out before it gets farther east. The ditch at the base of the bluff should be fixed to help the drainage. • Half of the road is blocked by a berm. The field ditch along the road is filled with the water from the field, not overwash from the Bay. Ditches need to be cleaned out. • If you can build some ditches and re-shrub the field, you would improve the drainage and prevent invasive species from growing. • Cover the “front ditch” (along the road) and have drainage flow the direction of the park; educate the residents to not throw grass clippings into the ditch. Funding opportunities: • There is general support for maintaining flow in the marsh, and having a back-up system that flows out near the parking lot. • Island County Conservation Futures Maintenance and Operations funds could be used for some of the pieces but this type of project could be very expensive. It is unlikely that Salmon Recovery Funding Board funding would pay for these changes unless the tide gate is opened to increase salmon habitat. Ducks Unlimited would only be interested in funding this if there was increased hunting capacity. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has funding for community resiliency for protecting properties from coastal flood risk. • There are mosquito control grants that could help pay for the mosquito control part of the project. • The National Coastal Resilience Fund is a national program with a regional focus and targets specific circumstances, needs and priorities. This fund aims to benefit coastal communities by reducing the impact of coastal flooding and associated threats to property and key assets, such as hospitals and emergency routes; benefit coastal communities by improving water quality and recreational opportunities; and benefit fish and wildlife by enhancing the ecological integrity and functionality of coastal and inland ecosystems. This funding source may be a good fit for the Iverson Preserve area. Considering the community concerns and interest in surface water improvements, it seems that there are some viable alternatives for incorporating drainage improvements/modifications at Iverson Preserve. Depending on the conceptual design, there may also be significant habitat improvements at this site. The project report, Iverson Preserve and Livingston Bay: Sedimentation, Groundwater Data Collection and Synthesis (Coastal Geologic Services 2017), includes the following recommendations for determining management options for balancing drainage improvements with potential habitat improvements at this site: • Evaluate, in more detail different scenarios for management including: o replacement of the tide gate with a larger gate o dike setback to reduce the volume of impounded water to drain allow for sedimentation in a broader area, and facilitate habitat enhancement o projections of future conditions • Perform conceptual design work using current and new data, hydraulic modeling, and planning level cost estimates for different alternatives. • Qualitatively (and potentially quantitatively) evaluate likely nearshore habitat benefits of conceptual alternatives outlined immediately above. • Evaluate the feasibility of adapting the road access, tide gate, and drainage network for projected sea level rise and site evolution. Recommended next steps for the Iverson Preserve are to utilize the Iverson Preserve and Livingston Bay: Sedimentation, Groundwater Data Collection and Synthesis report and the Iverson Stakeholder Integration summary to develop 2-3 conceptual designs, including information on permitting restrictions and cost-benefit analysis for each scenario. The Iverson Task Force and the Iverson community may be utilized to vet the conceptual designs to help select a preferred alternative to ensure a community supported and multi-benefit project is selected as the preferred alternative. Depending on the preferred alternative, funding sources may be available for project design, permitting and implementation.