Sunlight Shores Restoration and Armor Removal

The Story of Sunlight Shores

On the southern shores of Whidbey Island, a remarkable transformation has taken place. Thanks to a partnership between the SSA, Sunlight Shores Country Club, and the Island County Marine Resources Committee, a degraded stretch of shoreline along Useless Bay has been brought back to life. Thanks to a SHORE FRIENDLY site visit and recommendations, the SSA became aware of the project potential at this site. 

In fall 2018, the team restored 350 linear feet of shoreline and a quarter-acre of nearshore habitat, creating new opportunities for wildlife, clean water, and resilient coastlines. But this wasn’t a simple clean-up—it was a full-scale ecological makeover. The restoration involved removing layers of old riprap, debris, fill, and toxic creosote pilings. Once the slate was cleared, the shoreline was regraded and large woody debris (LWD) was placed to accelerate habitat building processes and functions. 

Next came the planting. On a bright March morning in 2019, volunteers from the Sunlight Shores community and Island County MRC came together, planting over a dozen native species including Coastal Gumweed, Oceanspray, Red-flowering Currant, Nootka Rose, Beach Pea, Shore Pine, and 1,500 American Dunegrass plugs. The entire effort took under three hours, a testament to the passion and coordination of this dedicated community. 

Reestablishing the riparian zone helps cool the shoreline, provides essential insects and cover for juvenile salmon, and reconnects upland, backshore, and marine habitats that are often fragmented by development and armoring. This project is a living demonstration of how nature-based solutions can protect shorelines while enhancing critical habitat. 

COLLABORATORS: This project is a direct result of Island County DNR and SSA’s Shore Friendly outreach, which supports landowners in adopting sustainable approaches to shoreline management. Project design was led by Coastal Geologic Services, with on-the-ground construction executed by Trimaxx Construction, Inc.. 

FUNDERS: Restoration wouldn’t have been possible without strategic investment: project design and permitting were funded by the Marine & Nearshore Grant Program / Habitat Strategic Initiative (EPA/WDFW/DNR), and construction funding came through generous support from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the Honda Marine Science Foundation, and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

BEFORE                                                  AFTER         

Photo Credit to John Githens – Aerial Whidbey          ‎

Time-lapse video of the Sunlight Shores project by Coastal Geologic Services.

Video from Island County DNR featuring Sunlight Shores.

FUNDING: This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under assistance agreement PC-011J22301 through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the EPA or WDFW, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.