Seahorse Siesta Barge and Bulkhead Removal

The Story of Seahorse Siesta

In 2013, a member of the Seahorse Siesta Community Association attended a SHORE FRIENDLY workshop hosted by the Salish Sea Alliance. For seven years, SSA and the Community Association partnered to raise funds and determine the feasibility of removing a large barge and bulkhead from the base of a feeder bluff. The structure extended waterward 98 feet from the toe of the bluff and 136 feet along the shore. Installed in the late 1960’s, placement of the barge along the shoreline created an elevated lawn near the beach for residents of the community.  

The structure, deteriorating over time, created a safety hazard and was an impediment to shoreline processes and habitats while also making it difficult for community members to get to the beach. After being pushed back many times, construction at Seahorse Siesta started on October 26th, 2020, and lasted until March 15th, 2021, when SSA staff and volunteers met to plant 650 native trees and ground cover. After a long day in the dirt, staff agreed it was the best staff meeting ever – especially after a year of COVID and not seeing each other in person.  

Removal of the barge and related sediments exposed a sandy beach suitable for forage fish spawning that will improve nearshore habitats useful for migrating juvenile salmonids. Volunteers from Island County MRC and staff from WDFW completed several years of pre-restoration monitoring for forage fish spawning, beach composition and profiles, large woody debris, and beach wrack accumulation. Post-construction monitoring began in April 2021 and continues to this day. 

COLLABORATORS: Island County MRC helped bring this project to fruition. Construction services were provided by Quilceda Excavation Inc. and engineering design was provided by Coastal Geologic Services. 

BEFORE                                                  AFTER         

Relevant Resources

Article written on project: ARTICLE 

FUNDERS: Restoring Seahorse Siesta was made possible by collaboration and funding support from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund, US Fish and Wildlife Service – Puget Sound Coastal Program, Vincent J. Coates Foundation, and Island County Marine Resources Committee.