shoreline restoration
Soft Shore Restoration Blueprint for San Juan County
 Forage fishes in our region (herring, surf smelt and sand lance) depend on nearshore marine habitats for spawning and rearing. Shoreline armoring structures, such as sea walls, rip rap, and bulkheads, often bury the diverse and nutrient rich upper intertidal zone while increasing erosion of the shoreline. Armoring alters upland sediment transport from feeder bluffs causing the habitat structure to shift to a lower elevation, higher energy and harder substrate. Net drift continues to carry away the fine sediments and over time beaches become unsuitable for spawning forage fish. Initial analysis of FRIENDS nearshore habitat database identified shoreline armoring as a major contributor to the destruction of forage fish spawning habitat.
A recent study also concludes that shoreline modification can reduce the survival rate
of surf smelt embryos as much as 50 percent. Click here to read the full report by Casey Rice, from the National Marine Fisheries Service.
 Alternatives to shoreline armoring exist and where appropriate should be utilized to protect forage fish spawning habitat and coastal processes. Soft shore restoration uses indigenous materials (gravel, sand, logs and root masses) in designs that mimic natural beach shape and processes. Soft shore restoration is a successful long-term method of addressing the erosion concerns that led to shoreline armoring while at the same time restoring degraded habitat.
In 2006 FRIENDS worked with Coastal Geologic Services to develop a restoration plan for San Juan County's hardened shorelines. The Blueprint prioritized restoration actions by biological importance, feasibility and landowner interest.
Click here to view the Soft Shore Protection/ Structural Removal Blueprint for San Juan County.
The project investigated shoreline modifications and prioritized potential restoration projects based on their feasibility and forage fish habitat benefit. Forage fish (surf smelt and sand lance) are small fish that lay their eggs on local beaches and provide a critical food resource for salmon, seabirds and marine mammals. Shoreline structures can degrade this important spawning habitat.
Attached is a copy of the final report documents in PDF format. The overall project and the highest ranked restoration projects are described in the body of the final report. Additional nearshore habitat improvement opportunities are described in Appendix 2.
Click here to read the Appendix to the Soft Shore Restoration Blueprint.
Mud Bay Soft Shore Restoration Blueprint -  As part of the Friends of the San Juans Blueprint Project, Coastal Geologic Services was contracted by FRIENDS to assess and prioritize modified shores for bulkhead removal and soft shore restoration feasibility at a much finer resolution for the shores of Mud Bay, Lopez Island. Mud Bay is identified as a priority restoration area due to the number of valuable habitats found therein including spawn activity of multiple forage fish documented in the region, multiple spawning sites documented in close proximity, spawn activity documented in multiple seasons, spawn activity documented in region by historic WDFW surveys (1989-1999) and the San Juan County Forage Fish Spawning Habitat Assessment Project (2000-2003), and the presence of eelgrass prairies.
Contact FRIENDS office for a copy of the Mud Bay Soft Shore Restoration Blueprint
Funding for the Soft Shore Restoration Blueprint is generously provided from the Russell Family Foundation and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
San Juan County Nearshore Impact Assessment
San Juan County government is directly responsible for extensive nearshore resources through ownership of shoreline parcels and management of shoreline infrastructure such as boat ramps, docks, roads and culverts. County departments with the most direct shoreline impacts and management responsibilities include Public Works, the Land Bank and County Parks. In 2006, FRIENDS of the San Juans researched and mapped San Juan County's impact on the nearshore.
The Nearshore Imapct Assessment provides an overview of priority nearshore marine species and habitats and summarizes the County’s direct impacts to nearshore marine species and habitats.
Click here to read the report and view the mapbook (large file - high speed connection required).
Marine Riparian Restoration
In 2004, FRIENDS conducted four marine riparian restoration projects. In 2006, FRIENDS will implement additional marine riparian restoration projects and will continue to maintain our 2004 planting sites.
 The Nearshore Marine Habitat Enhancement project applied detailed information from the existing nearshore habitat database to identify priority sites for riparian restoration in San Juan County. With increasing development of the coastal region there has been a loss of forage fish spawning habitat. Four pilot reforestation projects were implemented on public and private property in San Juan County to improve habitat condition and function for spawning surf smelt, a critical marine prey species.
Improved shading of summer surf smelt spawning sites will directly benefit egg survival. Overall nearshore conditions (habitat, water quality and food base) will be improved for key sport fish species including Chinook, Coho, Chum and Pink Salmon, lingcod and multiple species of Rockfish.
Funding for this project was provided by the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the FishAmerica Foundation. Future plantings will be a collaborative effort between FRIENDS and Ducks Unlimited.
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