Meadowdale Restoration

After a decade of planning, construction was completed on the 1.3-acre estuary restoration project at Meadowdale Beach Park! Pocket estuaries like Meadowdale are important rest stops for young salmon, where salmon can shelter, feed and grow.

Beach access at Meadowdale was reopened on January 7, 2023. The lower park area was fully opened to the public in September 2023, and a ribbon cutting event and a public celebration held were held in October 2023.

MRC Kelp Monitoring Video From The Northwest Straits Commission

Of the 23 species of large brown algae (known as kelp) that are native to Puget Sound, the beautiful Nereocystis luetkeana, or bull kelp, is the largest. Reaching a canopy height of 60’ or more, this is likely the one you’ve tangled in a propeller, marked as a prized fishing spot or dive site, or perhaps eaten – pickled, as a tasty appetizer. In response to concerns about declining bull kelp populations in some parts of the Sound, and mounting interest in kelp restoration, the Northwest Straits Commission is gathering information for use in local and regional planning and research.