Qwuloolt Restoration

The Qwuloolt Estuary is located within the Snohomish River floodplain, approximately three miles upstream from its outlet to Puget Sound and within Marysville city limits. Historically, the area was tidal marsh and forest scrub-shrub habitat, interlaced by tidal channels, mudflats and streams. Diminished estuarine habitats have been repeatedly and consistently identified as a primary driving limiting factor for juvenile to adult salmon survival, and restoring these habitats is imperative for providing a place for young salmon to live and grow. Prior to the levee breach on August 28, 2015, for over a hundred years the project area had been cut off from the natural influences of the Snohomish River and Salish Sea tides by levees, drained by ditches instead of stream channels, and characterized by a monoculture of invasive reed canary grass instead of native shrubs and grasses. Through the cooperation of its many partners, this project has retuned the historic and natural influences of the river and tides to the Qwuloolt and today provides much needed rearing habitat for young salmon species as they grow and prepare for their journey to the sea.

Please visit our Qwuloolt Estuary website for more information on this exciting project.

Contact

• Kurt Nelson

  Environmental Department Manager

• Brett Shattuck

  Restoration, Acquisition and Stewardship Program Manager