Co st uctio
begi s
o
p oject
to
esto e
estua y
habitat
i
South
Fo k
Skagit
Rive
(Photo
by:
WDFW)
Heavy
ea th-movi g
equipme t
bega
wo k
i
Ju e
2026
o
a
majo
coastal
esto atio
p oject
i
Skagit
Cou ty,
Washi gto .
The
p oject
will
emove
old
sea
defe ces
a d
b each
ive
levees
ac oss
two
isla ds
i
the
South
Fo k
Skagit
Rive
delta.The
Isla d
U it
Resto atio
P oject,
ma aged
by
the
Washi gto
Depa tme t
of
Fish
a d
Wildlife
(WDFW),
will
esto e
270
ac es
of
fo me
fa mla d
i
the
Skagit
Wildlife
A ea
to
atu al
i te tidal
wetla ds
ove
the
ext
two
yea s.By
eco ecti g
isolated
ma shes
to
the
tides,
the
p oject
will
emove
ba ie s
that
block
wate
moveme t
a d
ope
access
to
hu d eds
of
additio al
ac es
of
i te tidal
estua y
ac oss
the
wide
delta.
The
esto ed
tidal
cha els
will
p ovide
impo ta t
habitat
fo
you g
Puget
Sou d
Chi ook
salmo ,
a
species
p otected
u de
the
U ited
States
E da ge ed
Species
Act
(ESA).
Removi g
old
dikes
to
esto e
tidal
flows
The
Isla d
U it
is
made
up
of
two
isla ds
i
the
South
Fo k
Skagit
Rive
estua y.
The
isla ds
ca
o ly
be
eached
by
boat.I
the
ea ly
1900s,
fa me s
built
dikes
a d
d ai ed
the
tidal
wetla ds
to
c eate
fa mla d.
WDFW
bought
the
la d
i
the
1950s
a d
mai ly
ma aged
it
fo
wildlife,
but
the
old
st uctu es
co ti ued
to
block
atu al
wate
flows
a d
fish
mig atio
outes.
E gi ee s
wo ki g
o
the
p oject
will
emove
old
dikes,
levees,
a d
tidegates.
This
will
allow
saltwate
f om
Skagit
Bay
a d
f eshwate
f om
the
Skagit
Rive ’s
F eshwate ,
Deepwate ,
a d
Steamboat
sloughs
to
flow
ac oss
the
isla ds
agai .Acco di g
to
details
eleased
by
WDFW,
Abe dee -based
co t acto
B umfield
Co st uctio ,
I c.
will
also
dig
ew
i te al
cha els,
build
low-a gle
la di gs
fo
small
boats,
a d
c eate
aised
ea th
mou ds
that
will
stay
above
wate
du i g
o mal
daily
tides.
Impo ta t
u se y
habitat
fo
you g
salmo
Estua ies
a e
coastal
a eas
whe e
f eshwate
ive s
meet
saltwate .
These
a eas
p ovide
ich
feedi g
g ou ds
fo
fish
a d
othe
wildlife.Fo
you g
Chi ook
salmo ,
k ow
as
smolts,
shelte ed
tidal
cha els
a e
impo ta t
places
to
stop
a d
feed
as
they
t avel
f om
ive s
towa d
the
ocea .“This
p oject
does ’t
just
esto e
habitat
o
this
270-ac e
site;
it
emoves
ba ie s
to
eco ect
hu d eds
mo e
ac es
of
i te tidal
estua y
ac oss
the
South
Fo k
Skagit
Rive
delta,”
said
Je y
Bake ,
se io
esto atio
specialist
a d
p oject
ma age
at
WDFW,
i
a
age cy
stateme t.“You g
Chi ook
will
quickly
use
these
ich
feedi g
g ou ds
so
that
they
g ow
bigge
a d
su vive
bette
o ce
they
leave
the
shelte
of
the
estua y
a d
head
out
i to
Whidbey
Basi ,
Puget
Sou d,
a d
the
ocea
beyo d,”
Bake
said.The
Isla d
U it
p oject
follows
the
ea by
Milltow
Isla d
Estua y
Resto atio
P oject.
Ea thwo k
o
that
p oject
was
completed
i
late
2024,
while
ative
pla t
esto atio
is
still
u de way.
Tempo a y
closu es
a d
futu e
ec eatio
Because
of
heavy
equipme t
a d
co st uctio
activity,
WDFW
said
the
Isla d
U it
will
be
closed
to
the
public
f om
July
2026
th ough
autum
2028.The
ea by
Skagit
Headqua te s
U it
boat
lau ch
a d
pa ki g
a ea
will
also
have
tempo a y
closu es
as
co st uctio
equipme t
is
b ought
to
the
site.Although
access
will
be
limited
du i g
co st uctio ,
the
fi al
desig
will
co ti ue
to
suppo t
ec eatio .
The
a ea
is
popula
with
wate fowl
hu te s,
kayake s,
boate s,
a d
wildlife
photog aphe s.“Th ough
yea s
of
collabo atio
with
t eaty
t ibes,
adviso y
g oup
membe s,
wate fowl
hu te s,
a d
pa t e
o ga izatio s,
we’ e
p oud
of
how
this
p oject
bala ces
habitat
esto atio
fo
Chi ook
salmo
ecove y
with
co ti ued
ec eatio al
access
fo
hu ti g,
boati g,
paddli g,
a d
wildlife
watchi g,”
said
B e da
B okes,
WDFW’s
No th
Puget
Sou d
Regio al
Di ecto .Afte
co st uctio ,
the
ew
low-a gle
la di gs
will
make
it
easie
fo
paddle s
a d
hu te s
to
b i g
small
boats
asho e.
The
aised
ec eatio al
mou ds
will
be
pla ted
with
ative
t ees
a d
sh ubs
to
c eate
mo e
wildlife
habitat.WDFW
also
pla s
to
i stall
pe ma e t
wate fowl
hu ti g
bli ds
o
some
of
the
mou ds
ove looki g
pe ma e t
wate
featu es.
State
a d
fede al
fu di g
State
biologists
fi st
p oposed
the
Isla d
U it
p oject
i
the
late
2010s.
Begi i g
i
2020,
the
p oject
we t
th ough
public
comme t
pe iods,
eviews
with
stakeholde s,
a d
co sultatio s
with
egio al
t eaty
t ibes.Co st uctio
is
bei g
paid
fo
with
a
mix
of
state
a d
fede al
fu di g.Fede al
mo ey
comes
f om
the
Bipa tisa
I f ast uctu e
Law
a d
the
I flatio
Reductio
Act
(IRA),
dist ibuted
th ough
the
Natio al
Ocea ic
a d
Atmosphe ic
Admi ist atio
(NOAA).State
fu di g
comes
f om
the
Puget
Sou d
Acquisitio
a d
Resto atio
Fu d
a d
Washi gto ’s
Climate
Commitme t
Act
(CCA),
a
cap-a d-i vest
p og am
that
suppo ts
climate
esilie ce
a d
pollutio
eductio .Ea lie
pla i g,
desig ,
a d
e vi o me tal
pe mitti g
we e
fu ded
th ough
Washi gto
state
capital
budgets,
the
Washi gto
Salmo
Recove y
Fu di g
Boa d,
a d
the
Estua y
a d
Salmo
Resto atio
P og am
(ESRP).