The Edmonds Marsh Volunteer Restoration Project concluded its work for this year in restoring freshwater connections to the Edmonds Marsh and re-establishing a “new” Shellabarger Creek open channel on the west side of Highway 104. A volunteer tree planting event in October will complete the goals of this habitat restoration project for 2024, volunteer project leader Joe Scordino said.

According to Scordino, this all-volunteer project to restore freshwater circulation and re-establish the Shellabarger Creek channel began in summer 2021 to complement the fall 2020 initiation of year-round saltwater flows into the marsh. Prior to 2020, tidal flows in the fall and winter were prevented by a tide-gate that has since been secured in an open position to allow unobstructed tidal exchange necessary for a functional estuary.

Similar to past years, volunteers rallied to help in hands-on restoration of the Edmonds Marsh with about 40 volunteers, ranging from high school/college students to senior citizens, donating their time over 20 days from June to September. This was the fourth year of the volunteer “Adopt-A-Highway” landscaping agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation to restore and redirect freshwater flows along Highway 104. This project not only restored needed freshwater circulation into the Edmonds Marsh, but also put Shellabarger Creek back into its original channel, thus preventing the creek from flooding the Highway 104 and Dayton Street intersection during winter rainstorms. 

Prior years’ volunteer work involved removing chain-link fencing on both sides of Highway 104 and opening the creek channel that had been overgrown and blocked by an invasive plant – – bittersweet nightshade – – whose vines formed a thicket that blocked and altered flows and smothered native vegetation including trees. The before/after photo below shows how the nightshade overwhelmed many of the alder trees along the creek edges. 

According to Scordino, volunteers achieved this year’s goal to have a totally open creek channel on the west side of Highway 104 from the Shellabarger Creek culverts under the highway to where the creek turns west into the Edmonds Marsh. Although much of the nightshade had been removed in prior years, volunteers found considerable nightshade regrowth that had to be removed and somehow controlled. So, much of the work this year involved using deep woodchip ‘mats’ to preclude nightshade regrowth. The woodchip mats also formed a new streambank where new trees are being planted and a walking trail along the creek.

Scordino said the “local knowledge” and dedication of community volunteers was a critical factor in the success of this project. There were no textbooks or guidance manuals to refer to on how to work in sticky mud enmeshed with nightshade vines that required brute force to remove. Volunteers had to work together and learn as they progressed on how to be effective in restoring a wetland and blocked creek. The use of wood pallet walkways and bridges necessary to deal with difficult mud and water conditions was conceived by the volunteers.

Donations from Edmonds Rotary Clubs helped volunteers buy chest waders that proved essential for this work. Volunteers also consulted with wetland experts and restoration practitioners on controlling invasives, thus leading to the successful use of woodchips to prevent nightshade regrowth, Scordino said.

The community volunteers (in alphabetical order by first name) who participated in this years’ effort are: Aiden Curran, Allison Doak, Aspen Spivey, Belinda Hughes, Bernie Zavala, Bill Alexander, Bill Erwert, Bob Seidensticker, Chris Walton, Clinton Wright, Dave Teitzel, Diane Buckshnis, Dianna Maish, Eric Monroe, Glen Fuerstneau, Heather Marks, Joe Scordino, John Brock, Jonathan Scordino, Kai Rosman, Kathy Jones, Ken Schultz, Laszlo Rosman, Leah Stangohr, Lorraine Monroe, Lucas Stangohr, Mark Bailey, Mark Grosz, Marty Jones, Mary Ramirez, Mikayla Monroe, Nancy Scordino, Richard Stangohr, Sally Jo Sebring, Selena Bolotin, Seth Zeon, Tanya Randall, Valerie Rosman and Vivian Olson. 

The Edmonds Stream Team will be preparing a pictorial “storybook” on the Edmonds Marsh Volunteer Restoration Project, starting with the inaugural meeting with WSDOT in 2021 to current day. The storybook, when completed, will be posted on the Edmonds Environmental Council website at edmondsenvironmentalcouncil.org.

For further information, contact Joe Scordino at joe.scordino@yahoo.com.