DESCRIPTION
The project team proposes to permit and construct the Finn Creek estuary restoration project in the Norwegian Point County Park in Hansville, WA. Previously, the team developed preliminary designs (RCO 16-1596) and is currently finalizing designs (RCO 20-1018). Project goals include restoring the natural processes in the Finn Creek estuary that create and sustain habitats used by wild fish populations, while meeting County (landowner) and community flood objectives. These natural processes include fish passage; sediment sorting, scour, delivery, and longshore drift; riparian shading, filtering, and bank stability; and large wood recruitment. The project will improve estuarine and nearshore nursery conditions for juvenile coho, Chinook, and chum salmon, and other native fish and waterfowl species. It will also improve amenities and provide a demonstration project in Norwegian Point County Park to inform the public about the importance of protecting and restoring Puget Sound estuaries in a wild salmon recovery context. This project was identified as a high priority restoration opportunity in the West Sound Watersheds Phase II Watertype Assessment (2014). It is also identified as a Tier 1 project in the West Sound Nearshore Integration and Synthesis (Confluence, 2016).
Using the preliminary designs developed through RCO project 20-1018, Wild Fish Conservancy and their project team completed final designs and a basis of design report for the Finn Creek estuary restoration project in the Norwegian Point County Park in Hansville, WA. Goals include restoring the natural processes in the Finn Creek estuary while meeting community flood objectives. Restoration actions include removing a failing 300' long barrier culvert and tide gate at the beach, removing a second culvert, removing fill to recreate a barrier embayment in the park, constructing a park-perimeter berm to protect adjacent properties, restoring native veg. and LWD, and removing derelict creosote pilings. In addition, Wild Fish Conservancy developed conceptual designs for the County to replace an existing culvert with a fish passage structure at the County road intersection.
When constructed, the project will improve estuarine and nearshore nursery conditions for juvenile coho, Chinook, and chum salmon, and other native fish and waterfowl species. It will also improve amenities and provide a demonstration project in Norwegian Point County Park to inform the public about the importance of protecting and restoring Puget Sound estuaries in a wild salmon recovery context. This project was identified as a Tier 1 project in the West Sound Nearshore Integration and Synthesis (Confluence, 2016).
