Armor Removal at Shaw Island's Broken Point

Friends of the San Juans (FSJ) is seeking funding to permit and implement a beach restoration project at Broken Point on Shaw Island. The goal of the project is to remove toxic creosote and unbury upper intertidal and backshore habitat in support of salmon and salmon prey. Project actions include full removal of a 235 linear foot vertical creosote wood and rock fill bulkhead and fallen armor rock debris from an adjacent intertidal beach. All treated wood, rock backfill, and other associated fill material will be removed; the adjacent shed will be relocated inland. The project restores 370 linear feet of shoreline and 13,000 square feet of intertidal and backshore marine habitats with beach nourishment and estuarine plantings. The proposed project is located within one of four high priority forage fish spawning regions of San Juan County (FSJ 2004). Recent surveys also identified Pacific sand lance and surf smelt spawn on the eastern shores of the same tax parcel. The project is in a high priority fish use area for chinook and forage fish rearing and forage fish spawning habitat factors (PIAT II 2017). Eelgrass is present in the project area. SRFB grant funds, along with landowner match, will support permitting and implementation of intertidal and backshore beach restoration actions. Removal of this toxic, low elevation bulkhead is feasible, has landowner support, a completed final design, and restores beach habitat and nearshore processes in a priority forage fish spawning region of San Juan County.

Project fully removed creosote wood treated bulkhead and all associated rock and soil fill to unbury an intertidal beach. Nourishment and backshore planted returned beach to natural substrate and grade. project improves habitat for salmon prey and is a demonstration for armor removal on private residential property.