Snohomish County staff posted 7 vessels for removal in summer 2023. After a 30 day posting period per Chapter 79.100 RCW: DERELICT VESSELS (wa.gov), Snohomish County took possession of the vessels. A contractor removed the vessels in November 2023. 

The total cost of the 2023 removals was nearly $238,000. The costs of the project will be reimbursed at 100% by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Removal Program - Recovering Derelict Vessels | WA - DNR. The State's Derelict Vessel Program will investigate last known owners to seek restitution to pay for the costs of removing their vessels.

Snohomish County MRC started hosting quarterly beach cleanups with WSU Beach Watchers in 2022. We know many folks are worried about marine debris, including microplastics, and attending a beach cleanup is a great way to get involved. Check out the events tab for the date of our next cleanup!

Additionally, WSU Beach Watchers and the MRC partnered with Zero Waste Washington in 2021 and 2022 to host a special cleanup where the group used the "Escaped Trash Protocol" developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to assess how trash is impacting our local waterways.  These cleanups were part of a broader effort which included assessing 32 cleanup sites between 2018-2021. Using this protocol,  changes in the amounts and types of litter found on beaches can be quantified to help determine effectiveness of voluntary and regulatory actions. Finally, these data can be used to establish impairments to waterbodies (i.e., which rivers, creeks, and beaches are polluted due to litter) as listed in Washington State’s 303(d) listing under the federal Clean Water Act.