The northwest straits foundation, wshington state parks, and the skagit and whatcom county marine resources committees (mrcs) are partners to develop a feasibility study, design, permitting, and…

The Northwest Straits Foundation, Washington State Parks, and the Skagit and Whatcom County Marine Resources Committees will develop a feasibility study, design, permitting, and initiate community outreach for the restoration of over 1,200 linear feet of shoreline, 9 acres of backshore, and adjacent upland habitat at Clayton Beach in Larrabee State Park, Skagit County, WA under a $122,716 cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1. The award will support products and services to restore degraded nearshore habitat and processes impaired by remnants of a former trolley line, including removal of riprap and pilings. Restoration is expected to improve ecosystem functions like sediment transport, forage fish spawning areas, and exchange of terrestrial and aquatic resources critical for salmonids and other wildlife. Notable details include a September 2026 completion date and relevance to the Coastal program's mission of supporting coastal habitat protection and restoration benefiting trust species.

The northwest straits foundation, wshington state parks, and the skagit and whatcom county marine resources committees (mrcs) are partners to develop a feasibility study, design, permitting, and initiate community outreach for restoration of over 1,200 linear feet of shoreline, 9 acres of backshore, and adjacent upland habitat at clayton beach in larrabee state park, skagit county, WA. The nearshore habitat and processes at the site are degraded and impeded by riprap, pilings, and debris - all remnants of the interurban trolley trestle that ran between bellingham and mount vernon from 1912 to 1928. The remaining stubs present along the beach represent just some of the 5,000 pilings used to build the trestle. The armor at this site is uniquely situated within the mid-intertidal creating a perched beach, impeding sediment transport alongshore, and directly burying intertidal habitat and forage fish spawning habitat. Removal of the shore armor will restore the connection between nearshore habitats and the backshore allowing for greater exchange of terrestrial and aquatic nutrients, insects and organic matter. Restoring this connection will provide a source of insects critical in the diet of juvenile salmonids and the prey of migrating bull trout, as well as improved foraging habitat for marine and shore birds. The shoreline will become more complex and able to recruit and store large woody debris, as the armor will not reflect the wood off the shore. Removal and restoration will also allow for landward expansion of the eelgrass bed that is limited by the low elevation of the armor.