Left: Before the Shoal Bay restoration. Right: After the Shoal Bay restoration.

On Oct. 15, a large cement tide gate was removed from the tide channel of Lopez Island’s Shoal Bay lagoon. The derelict tide gate structure was restricting the flow of water in and out of the lagoon, obstructing fish passage at low tide and causing elevated summertime temperatures within the lagoon. Shoal Bay has a rich nearshore marine environment with forage fish spawning beaches, eelgrass, shellfish beds, a sand spit and a coastal lagoon. Pacific herring, surf smelt and multiple species of out-migrating juvenile salmon utilize the project area. The restoration project, coordinated by Friends of the San Juans and designed by Coastal Geologic Services of Bellingham, will improve water quality and fish passage conditions at the lagoon.

Two dump truck loads of concrete, steel, plastic and wood and nearly 20 truckloads of fill material were removed from the site. The channel was deepened and widened slightly and the slope of the banks was reduced. Lower marsh vegetation was set aside and replanted after the bank and channel reshaping was complete. Dune and salt grasses will be replanted by volunteers in the next few weeks. Post project monitoring of water quality, fish use and channel conditions will be conducted next summer and fall.

Landowners and shellfish farm operators Nick and Sara Jones are pleased with the outcome. “We wish to thank the Friends and Lopez Sand and Gravel for the highly successful restoration project on our Shoal Bay shellfish farm. As shellfish growers, we are acutely aware of the importance of a healthy marine environment to the well being of all islanders. When we purchased the property five years ago we knew something would have to happen to the tide gate structure we inherited with the property. We have witnessed firsthand the impacts of this structure on the function of the lagoon–from fish kills in summer to increased erosion around the structure in winter. Friends took on the project and guided it through seemingly endless studies and permits. They have been cooperative, respectful and extremely inclusive through the entire process. The actual removal was carefully timed and staged to minimize impact both to the marine life and our ongoing shellfish farming activities. We are delighted with the result aesthetically, and can already discern significant, positive changes to the function of the lagoon. We are profoundly grateful for the positive outcome and the graceful way the Friends handled the entire process.” Nick and Sara Jones, Jones Family Farms, Lopez Island.

Friends of the San Juans wishes to acknowledge and thank the following for their assistance with the project: Lopez Sand and Gravel; Drayton Archaeological Research; Coastal Geologic Services; Wyllie-Echeverria Fisheries and Beach Watcher volunteers.

Project funding was provided by the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation‘s Community Salmon Fund and the Washington Department of Ecology’s Coastal Protection Fund. For more information on Friends’ shoreline restoration and protection efforts, call 378-2319.