Shoreline Living and Restoration

Floodplains to foodwebs

WSG-funded researchers investigate estuary restoration through the eyes of juvenile salmon

November 10, 2025

By Mel Lemke, WSG Science Communications Fellow

Hatching from their eggs into the waters of the Stillaguamish River, Chinook salmon begin their lives as tiny freshwater fry. No more than a few millimeters long at hatching, these tiny babies spend their early weeks of life nourished by their yolk sacs before they begin feasting on small freshwater invertebrates like bugs, snails and larvae. Carried by the river’s flow, they ...

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10
NOV
0

WSG News Blog

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Eyes on the Elwha: A Conversation with WSG Coastal Hazards Specialist, Ian Miller

March 3, 2025

By Maddie Gard, WSG Science Communications Fellow

When the Elwha River dams were breached in 2011, a century’s worth of accumulated sediment was released and transported downstream to the coastal zone. An estimated 19 million metric tons of mud, sand and gravel that had been trapped in the dam reservoirs transformed twists and turns of the Elwha River, eventually flushing out to the coast and reshaping the river delta near Port Angeles. Since then, Washington ...

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3
MAR
0

Hazard Resilience, Marine and Coastal Planning, WSG News Blog

Grassroots community engagement and Kevin Decker’s economic report changed the tide for North Cove

Once facing rapid erosion, North Cove beach was recently deemed one of the nation’s ‘best restored beaches’

January 23, 2025

By Maddie Gard, WSG Science Communications Fellow

A decade ago, the northern shore of Willapa Bay was washing away — along with the homes and businesses of the North Cove community. Rapid coastal erosion along North Cove beach in Pacific County, Washington was causing over 100 feet of beach to disappear annually into the ocean on average. ...

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23
JAN
0

WSG News Blog

King tides return to Washington shores

December 12, 2024

The highest tides of the year return to Washington state this weekend, with areas like Shelton and Olympia expecting high tides over 16 feet.

King tides, extreme-high tides that occur when Earth experiences increased gravitational pull from the moon and sun, are an annual yet dramatic feature of Washington winters. Alone, they can cause flooding conditions in low-lying areas. Combined with other factors–like high winds and wave action, especially during coastal storms–flooding can become more ...

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12
DEC
0

WSG News Blog

New modeling tool shows impacts of sea level rise, coastal flooding to Whatcom County

February 27, 2024

Created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and supported by Washington Sea Grant, the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) will soon be available for use across Washington state

From rising seas to eroding shorelines and more frequent, intense storms, the hazards faced by coastal communities are only projected to grow. Recognizing these threats, planners and managers around Washington are assessing the vulnerability of their communities and planning for impacts – in particular, the impacts ...

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27
FEB
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WSG News Blog

Shoreline restoration: community science to monitor effectiveness

July 10, 2023

Read on UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences News.

Jason Toft from the UW Wetland Ecosystem Team has been monitoring shoreline armor restoration in Puget Sound for over a decade at sites where artificial armor on beaches has been removed to facilitate the restoration of intertidal areas.

Shoreline armor, also known as seawalls and bulkheads, occurs on over 25% of Puget Sound’s shorelines and was historically installed along homes and infrastructure to address erosion risk. We now know that ...

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10
JUL
0

WSG News Blog

WSG, Washington CoastSavers and partners awarded funding to tackle marine debris

April 21, 2023

The partners will receive $299,965 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to lead collaborative marine debris efforts in coastal Washington 

Marine debris is a persistent issue in Washington, as trash enters the ocean and threatens the health of ecosystems. Washington Sea Grant, together with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Washington CoastSavers have been awarded $299,965 from the National Sea Grant Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions ...

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21
APR
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WSG News Blog

WSG receives $1.59 million to boost Puget Sound habitat

March 6, 2023

The two WSG-led projects selected for funding will focus on sea level rise vulnerability and managing invasive European green crab

Two projects led by Washington Sea Grant (WSG) will receive a total of $1.59 million through the Puget Sound National Estuary Program’s Habitat Strategic Initiative, a partnership between Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Natural Resources. The WSG-led projects will focus on sea level rise vulnerability ...

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6
MAR
0

WSG News Blog

Sea Levels are Rising in Washington. What will the Shorelines of the Future be like?

July 22, 2022

A new report from the Washington Coastal Resilience Project evaluates the trade-offs between various strategies to manage the impacts of sea level rise

As sea levels continue to rise, coastal hazards such as flooding and erosion will become increasingly common. According to recent assessments, over 14,000 homes and structures in Washington State — representing a current value of over 8 billion dollars ...

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22
JUL
0

WSG News Blog

WSG Receives Funding to Build Coastal Resilience in the Columbia River Estuary

November 29, 2021

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded $259,888 from the National Coasta­l Resilience Fund (NCRF) to the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and partners, including Washington Sea Grant, for a project to develop community-based hazards and habitat resilience planning in the Columbia River E­stuary.

With this funding, WSG will conduct outreach and adaptation planning workshops to identify and prioritize site-specific project concepts to strengthen ecological and community resilience. The project ...

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29
NOV
0

WSG News Blog

Washington Sea Grant Received Four Grants from the Habitat Strategic Initiative in 2020

December 10, 2020

WSG awarded grants for Green Shores for Homes, Sea Level Rise Exposure, Shoreline Monitoring Toolbox, and Green Crab Projects for a total of $1.15 million. 

The National Estuary Program (NEP) is a place-based initiative to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. Earlier this year, the Puget Sound NEP Habitat Strategic Initiative Read More

9
DEC
0

WSG News Blog

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