Tag: Shoreline armoring

Puget Sound meets 2020 bulkhead-removal goal; new indicators will chart the future

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In a turnabout that offers hope for Puget Sound’s nearshore ecosystem, old bulkheads are now being removed faster than new bulkheads are being constructed, according to permit figures provided by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. In fact, officials with Puget Sound Partnership recently announced that the agency’s 2020 goal for reducing shoreline armoring had been reached — just barely — by the end of last year. Specifically, the goal, or target, was to remove more bulkheads, seawalls and other armoring (measured in length) than what was added from […]

Low-interest loans could help shoreline property owners finance improvements

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As ongoing research confirms the importance of shoreline habitat throughout Puget Sound, experts are looking for new ways to help shoreline property owners pay for bulkhead removals. One emerging idea, which could be established as a formal initiative within a year, consists of a special shoreline loan program that could provide low-interest loans to residential property owners. The owners could then make payments over decades with less strain on their family budgets. A soon-to-be-released report examines the possibilities of a state-sponsored revolving-fund loan program. This type of program would begin […]

Repairs of bulkheads, docks and other structures now involve habitat assessment

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In a major policy shift by federal authorities, waterfront maintenance and reconstruction projects are undergoing increased scrutiny — not only for their environmental impacts during and after construction but for effects that ripple through time. The change, imposed by NOAA Fisheries to protect threatened and endangered species, requires compensation for environmental damage calculated over the life of a shoreline structure. So compensation comes into play even where a structure is merely replacing an old one. Previously, in most cases, the agency did not require environmental compensation for repair and replacement […]

Everything counts when helping young salmon survive their risky journey to the sea

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When considering the amazing migration of salmon, we often talk about their long journey from the ocean, guided by smell, to the very stream where they first emerged from the gravel. But if we’re talking about salmon recovery — such as avoiding extinction for Puget Sound Chinook — we must focus equally on the first leg of their journey — from stream to ocean. That’s when vulnerable young fish die by the millions. The survival rate for juvenile salmon depends to a large extent on the physical condition of the […]

Shoreline armoring in Puget Sound gets new scrutiny from the Army Corps of Engineers

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Shoreline bulkheads, which can damage beaches and destroy fish habitat, could come under more extensive review and permitting as the result of a revised shoreline policy announced last week by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The revised policy (PDF 163 kb), which resulted from a federal lawsuit, now requires a Corps of Engineers permit for shoreline construction below the high-tide line. The previous line of jurisdiction was lower on the beach, effectively exempting most shoreline armoring from federal permits. One of the key results of the policy change is […]

Shoreline monitoring toolbox webinar

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Re-posted from the Habitat Strategic Initiative blog: Please join the Habitat Strategic Initiative for a webinar on Thursday, February 13th at 12pm Join the [pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov]Habitat Strategic Initiative for a webinar highlighting the results of one of our investments that is advancing progress on the Shoreline Armoring Implementation Strategy, Shoreline Monitoring Toolbox Protocol Implementation and Data Management (NTA 2016-0119).   The Shoreline Monitoring Database: bringing data together to inform shoreline restoration in the Salish Sea The Shoreline Monitoring Database (shoremonitoring.org) was developed starting in 2018, and now includes data management capability […]

Survey shows Puget Sound residents prefer natural shorelines to armored ones

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By Jeff Rice, Puget Sound Institute Shoreline armoring not only damages the ecosystem, it may also impact our ‘sense of place’ and enjoyment of the environment, according to a 2019 report from Oregon State University. The report is based on surveys of both property owners and non-property owners in Puget Sound. More than 66% of survey respondents indicated that natural attributes were a strong part of their connection to Puget Sound’s shorelines. The report’s author, Dr. David Trimbach of Oregon State University’s Human Dimensions Lab, argues that environmentally damaging shoreline […]

PSI study will look at potential of low-interest loans for armor removal

A bulkhead along the shores of Puget Sound. Photo by Christopher Dunagan.
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There are more than 45,000 residential properties along Puget Sound’s shoreline. Of those, almost half have some form of environmentally damaging shoreline armoring. That makes private landowners a primary focus of state and federal armor removal efforts, but many landowners say they either lack funds or are unwilling to pay for sometimes costly beach restorations. Now, the Puget Sound Institute in collaboration with Coastal Geologic Services and Northern Economics is looking at ways to provide low-interest loans to homeowners for this purpose. PSI and its partners will conduct a feasibility […]

Tracking the effectiveness of armor removal in Puget Sound

Armor-removal project at Cornet Bay State Park before and after site restoration. Photo courtesy of PSEMP
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The removal of shoreline armoring has become a priority for the state’s Puget Sound recovery efforts. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) is providing details on the effectiveness of armor-removal projects at 49 study sites. Summary In February 2019 the PSEMP Nearshore work group completed the compilation of armor-removal sites that have had restoration and monitoring occur since 2005. Sites are also included if pre-restoration monitoring has occurred, and restoration is planned to occur in the near future. Sites are not listed when monitoring has not occurred, or if restoration […]

Meeting will address shoreline armoring in Puget Sound

Former feeder bluff with sediment impounded by armoring. Photo by Hugh Shipman.
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The Shoreline and Coastal Planners Group spring meeting will focus on shoreline armoring in Puget Sound and will feature a presentation by Puget Sound Institute research scientist Aimee Kinney.  The meeting will be held on on April 23rd at the South Seattle College Georgetown campus and will include assessments of updates to the EPA-funded Puget Sound Shoreline Armoring Implementation Strategy. Registration is now open. UPDATE: The meeting is now sold out. To be placed on the wait list, contact Nicole Faghin faghin@uw.edu.

Shoreline armoring is “death by a thousand cuts” for ecosystem

An excavator removes shoreline armoring in Puget Sound. Photo by Doris Small, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
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Puget Sound Institute research scientist Aimee Kinney was quoted in a January 25th story on KUOW radio about the removal of shoreline armoring in Puget Sound. The story focuses on recent progress by the state to remove widespread seawalls and bulkheads that harm salmon and alter the ecological balance of the shoreline. Kinney has been part of an EPA-funded team developing a comprehensive strategy to reduce armoring in the region. Much of Puget Sound’s artificially hardened shoreline occurs on privately held land and the team is working to improve enforcement of permits and […]

The latest numbers on shoreline armoring

Former feeder bluff with sediment impounded by armoring. Photo by Hugh Shipman.
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By Jeff Rice Washington state has released the latest statistics for Puget Sound’s shoreline armoring Vital Sign, comparing armoring creation and removal in 2017. Those familiar with the Vital Sign will know that the state’s goal is to finally see, by 2020, a net decrease in the length of shoreline armoring throughout Puget Sound. Armoring such as seawalls, bulkheads and other structures has been shown to harm salmon and forage fish. It damages beaches and diminishes the overall health of the shoreline [Read “Hitting a wall: can we fix Puget […]