This Skagit River System Cooperative project utilized funds originally intended for restoration at Arrowhead Lagoon, a nearshore pocket estuary located in Island County on northwestern Camano Island. The Arrowhead Lagoon restoration project, although it had the support of the majority of the local community, was unable to proceed due to resistance from one landower. A scope change request to redirect these funds towards restoration efforts at Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh was approved in October 2007. Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh was historically the largest open barrier island salt marsh (~300 acres) on Whidbey Island, in Island County, WA. The project was designed to restore 200 acres of juvenile salmon rearing habitat and other wetland functions to the Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh. The restoration site had been diked and ditched and had minimal tidal exchange through an undersized and low-functioning tidegate. Tidal flow and fish access were restored to the Crescent Harbor salt marsh via a breach in the beach berm and excavation to reconnect to existing channels. Interior dikes were breached or notched to allow circulation and mixing of fresh and marine water, and artificial fill was removed to further increase marsh area. Restoring tidal inundation to this site enables juvenile Chinook, other juvenile salmonids, and forage fish to access approximately 205 acres of barrier salt marsh habitat, which currently includes approximately 10,938 linear feet (6.82 acres) of tidal channel habitat. Restoring tidal flow is expected to restore the natural process of tidal channel development. Allometric modeling based on data from South Fork Skagit River salt marshes indicate that although total acreage of tidal channel will change little from current conditions, total channel length will increase dramatically. Sediment transported by tidal flow and freshwater inputs will likely increase marsh plain elevation from current levels. Model assertions are currently being evaluated through monitoring efforts. Initial fish monitoring indicates utilization of the site by large numbers of juvenile Chinook and other salmon.