The Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh, located on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), was historically the largest open barrier island salt marsh on Whidbey Island (approximately 300 acres). The Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan (SRSC and WDFW 2005) identifies this marsh as one of twelve priority restoration sites within one day’s migration from the Skagit River Delta for juvenile Chinook salmon. Compared to adjacent nearshore habitat, pocket estuary habitat such as the Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh is thought to provide survival and growth advantages for juvenile Chinook salmon that have been displaced from their natal river deltas by flooding or high fish density (Beamer et al. 2003).

View Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration in a larger map

The Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh has been cut off from fish access and is largely disconnected from tidal exchange except through ground water. The site is currently diked and ditched, with minimal tidal exchange occurring through a tide gate. Much of the historic marsh, tidal channel, and freshwater tributary habitat at this site has excellent potential for restoration, except for an approximately 13-hectare (32 acre) wastewater treatment pond (WWTP) located in the center of the marsh and associated dikes for access and sewage pipes. The site has been divided into northwestern, southwestern, and eastern cells based on these cross-dikes.

<iframe width=”425″ height=”350″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no” marginheight=”0″ marginwidth=”0″ src=”http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105591844527662470652.00048b461425d9257d0bb&ll=48.29745,-122.609076&spn=0.00338,0.004361&t=h&output=embed”></iframe><br /><small>View <a href=”http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105591844527662470652.00048b461425d9257d0bb&ll=48.29745,-122.609076&spn=0.00338,0.004361&t=h&source=embed” style=”color:#0000FF;text-align:left”>Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration</a> in a larger map</small>

The Crescent Harbor salt marsh restoration site. Photo from a composite of 2003 Washington Department of Ecology shoreline aerial photos.

Proposed restoration actions to restore fish access and tidal flow at the Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh have been modified from a design originally developed by Philip Williams & Associates, Ltd. (PWA) for Island County Public Works and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The specific actions that will be undertaken by NASWI and the Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) as part of this plan include (in order of completion):

1. Creating a notched weir at the sewer intake dike separating the southwest and the northwest salt marsh cells to allow tidal circulation.
2. Breaching the northeast sewer intake dike to increase tidal volume and fish access between the northwest and east salt marsh cells.
3. Replacing an undersized culvert currently connecting the southwest and east salt marsh cells to improve fish access and tidal circulation.
4. Breaching the remaining beach berm near the existing tide gate and reconnecting the existing channel network to Crescent Harbor through the Seabee bridge.

Anticipated post-restoration channel configuration.

Project Status/Timeline
Funding for project design and construction has been acquired. Additional funding will be required to complete monitoring and other project components at this site. Currently, permit applications have been submitted, and pending approval, construction is anticipated to begin late summer 2008 and will continue during summer 2009.

Primary Project Contact
Steve Hinton, Director of Habitat Restoration

Funding Sources
Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB)

Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP)

Project Partners
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Environmental Affairs Department

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