Action 2: Improve Aquatic Lands and Riparian Habitat in the Estuary
   

The freshwater of the Snohomish Watershed meets and mixes with the saltwater of Puget Sound in its estuary. Spreading out across multiple sloughs and estuarine wetlands, these waters are an ever-changing mix of salinity, nutrients and sediment. Despite a legacy of diking and development that have damaged the habitat-forming processes that created the estuary, the Snohomish estuary still provides critical habitat for salmonids. Of the Pacific salmon, Chinook are most dependent on healthy estuarine habitat, spending anywhere from days to many months rearing in the estuary. The focus  of the Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Forum has been on restoring or re-creating the extensive off-channel salmon habitat lost due to decades of levee construction.
 
Outcome 3: Restore habitat availability by removing 150 tons of marine debris by 2024.
Outcome 4: Improve aquatic lands, including removal of 100% of current derelict vessels by 2026.
Outcome 5: Eliminate 100% of unpermitted marinas/infrastructure, and bring 100% of default leases into compliance and resolve resulting habitat impacts by 2031.
 

0-3 Year Actions

 

Action 2.1 Voluntary Turn-In Program  

Expand reach of Voluntary Turn-in Program (VTiP) through enhanced communication, proactively reaching out to potential customers. Prevent derelict vessels from sinking/grounding on habitat.

Action 2.2 Puget SoundCorps 

Expand cleanups by Puget SoundCorps crews, including removal of gyres (large floating areas) of debris in off-channel habitat restoration.

Action 2.3 Derelict Crab Pots

Remove derelict crab pots in collaboration with Northwest Straits Foundation/Natural Resource Consultants in Possession Sound.

Action 2.4 Unpermitted Marinas 

Reduce presence of unpermitted marinas in the estuary by 50%.

Action 2.5 Derelict Vessel Removal

Derelict Vessel Removal Program will accelerate removal of vessels by bundling multiple vessels in removal contracts and including priority “3” along with “2” vessels. Remove 50% of current vessel list.

4-10 Year Actions

Action 2.6 Piling Removal

Complete piling removal for 100% of priority pilings, guided in part by the Snohomish Estuary Pilings Prioritization Final Report, September 2020. A total of 6,982 pilings were assigned High Priority and should be targeted for removal by 2031; this represents 45% of all pilings (out of 15,564 total).

Action 2.7 Unpermitted Marinas II

Focus monitoring and enforcement efforts to eliminate unpermitted marinas/infrastructure in Snohomish Estuary by 2031.

Action 2.8 Derelict Vessel Removal II

Remove all derelict vessels on current list by 2026.