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The City of Edmonds and the Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates (volunteers) announced the completion of preliminary evaluations supporting the restoration of the Edmonds Marsh estuary. This work was funded by the National Coastal Resiliency Fund (NCRF).
The City has also applied for the next grant phase, which would prepare a 30% design for restoration of the estuary.
The study provided a clearer understanding of how water moves through the marsh and onto Dayton Avenue during floods. It also modeled how water would flow through the marsh if a surface connection to Puget Sound were restored, and how these flows could be affected by sea level rise, freshwater flooding and different restoration approaches.
The evaluations clarified the risks that future owners of the Unocal property may face from remaining contamination and how those risks can be minimized. A third component of the grant outlines a framework for community planning during the next phases of this long-term project.
The original grant application was drafted by Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates volunteers — known as the Marshians — and was submitted by the City in June 2023. Edmonds was one of only 109 projects nationwide selected for funding, which is managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and NOAA.
The total project cost was $226,000, funded 60% by the NCRF grant, 25% through community contributions and 15% provided in-kind by the City for grant administration.
This partnership has paved the way for a new NCRF grant application to support the next phase of the project. The proposal has advanced through the competitive pre-proposal stage, and the team has been invited to submit a full application.
If approved for funding, the next phase will complete a public process to develop a 30% design for restoration of the estuary by excavating a portion of the Unocal site and opening a channel connecting the marsh to Puget Sound. It will also identify coastal flood risks and vulnerabilities, prepare a land appraisal and cultural resources study, estimate restoration costs and outline a plan for future funding.
The technical analysis was managed by Blue Coast Engineering, one of Puget Sound’s premier coastal restoration consulting firms. A summary of the technical report findings is available on the Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates website where questions can also be submitted.
Gosh I can see a great opportunity to move the ferry increase the size of the marsh get the reconnection done and solve the emergency access problem plus open up a city core area for development. Just think of how many city workers we could keep busy for at least a decade without having to ask the citizens for higher taxes. But what do I know I was only the guy who told the mayor he needed to learn about things that stink and what do you know he didn’t listen so we got the most expensive experimental sewer system that still doesn’t work to this day. On a side note we don’t need this big of government when there is little to nothing do but maintain the status quo. Vote no on the levy and elect some leaders that might promote the kind of growth that will benefit us all.
This is great news! Thanks for the work grant writers and researchers/engineers.