In Mid-October Friends of the San Juans oversaw the removal of a tidegate that had partially blocked the entrance channel to the Shoal Bay Lagoon since the 1980s. More than 15 truckloads of concrete, steel and fill were removed from the site over a period of several days, the channel was deepened, and the banks on either side were re-shaped to more natural and sustainable contours.
On a beautiful November 11 morning, Tina Whitman and Jana Marks from "Friends," and Beach Watcher Susan Muckle, completed the final stage of the project by planting about 700 plugs of native plants and grasses on both sides of the bank. In addition to these new plants, which will help hold the banks in place, Tina was encouraged to note how many other grass seedlings were already sprouting in the area. Established plants from further down the beach will also spread seeds and rhizomes into the newly graded area.
The lagoon is home to Jones Family Farm's shellfish beds, and owner Nick Jones stated how pleased he was with the outcome of the project. The lagoon is still adapting to the changes, and will continue to do so for awhile, but it "has a more natural feeling to it now," according to Nick.
A lot of behind the scenes engineering and environmental preparation by Friends' staff preceded the actual removal of the tidegate, and the organization will continue to monitor the beach and lagoon on an ongoing basis. But all indications are that this project has been a big improvement to the Shoal Bay ecosystem.
Nice job and a lot of hard work went into this. Thanks to the three who made this happen.
ReplyDeleteAndrea