Dosewallips Floodplain & Estuary Restoration 2016

The Lower Dosewallips Floodplain and Estuary Restoration was completed in the spring of 2022, main project construction occurred in the summer of 2021, with planting in the fall and invasive removal and touch up planting occurring in Spring 2022. The main project construction resulted in the removal of: 1000 ft of revetment along the main river shoreline, and the removal 2820 linear feet of asphalt roads in the floodplain, including 500 feet of road that was buried 2 feet underneath the existing surface and was likely abandoned by parks after a flood buried it in the 1960s or 1970s. We also created over 3500 feet of new distributary channel and constructed 3 engineered log jams at distributary junctions with the main river. Iinvasive species (Himalayan blackberry) were removed on 2 acres and riparian plantings occurred throughout the entire area disturbed by construction. 

The goal of this project was to restore natural floodplain processes to 4.25 acres of tidal floodplain in the Lower Dosewallips River. This wa accomplished through the removal of over 1000 feet of revetment within the project reach, as well as 2800 feet of asphalt road. This allowed for the creation of 3500 feet of new distributary channels within the old campground footprint. We also added three new ELJs to the mainstem of the river at distributary junctions.