Everett’s Howarth Park Beach May Expand, Public Meeting Set For Thursday

April 20, 2014

Everett

Nearshore Restoration Project

Artist’s conception of improvements to Howarth Park from project website.

Snohomish County and the City of Everett have scheduled a public meeting to talk about a project that will add useable beach area to Howarth Park. In addition to benefitting Howarth Park users, the project is designed to support salmon recovery in the region. Four separate locations along the shoreline between the Port of Everett and Mukilteo have been chosen for restoration:

  • Howarth Park beach
  • West side of Powdermill Gulch Creek
  • West side of Narbeck Creek
  • West side of Glennwood Creek

The work will require a four-month closure of the beach at Howarth Park from November 2014 to approximately February 2015. Residents in Everett and users of the park from throughout Snohomish County are invited to attend a public meeting to learn more. There will be a short presentation, exhibits to view, staff members and neighbors to visit with, and a no-host latte stand operated as a fundraiser by the church.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 6-7:30 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 215 West Mukilteo Boulevard in the View Ridge Neighborhood of Everett.

For more information visit the project website or call 425-388-3789.

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Here also is an overview of the project from the Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee…

The Nearshore Beach Restoration Project was developed by Snohomish County and its partners to support the 2005 Snohomish River Basin Salmon Conservation Plan and the federal listing of the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon as a threatened species. The nearshore environment of the Snohomish Basin has been identified as a high priority for restoration of juvenile salmon and forage fish rearing habitat. Shoreline railroad construction, beginning in the early 1800s, has disrupted natural beach and habitat forming processes, resulting in degraded shorelines or beaches. These changes impact both salmon habitat and forage fish habitat. Forage fish need sand and gravel to spawn, and juvenile salmon rely on shallow water areas to avoid predators. These changes also reduce the food source for orcas, seals, birds, and other marine organisms. A variety of stakeholders participated in a year-long technical assessment evaluating the physical characteristics and biological potential of proposed sites and prioritizing restoration recommendations.

Project Goals and Objectives…

1. Place beach sand and gravel, dredged from the Snohomish River, at six sites in four locations along 4.5 mile stretch of the railroad impounded shoreline between Mukilteo and Everett

2. Remove the Howarth Park bulkhead and restore the beach, improving public access to the waterfront; Howarth Park will be closed to visitors during construction for approximately three months

3. Improve habitat for Chinook Salmon, Pacific Sand Lance, and Surf Smelt

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