Restoration Implementation Planning for Salish Sea Stream Mouths Impacted by the Railroad

The railroad is a prominent stressor on long stretches of shoreline in the Washington portion of the Salish Sea. It runs along 52 miles of the shoreline, while another 21 miles of railroad is within 200 feet of the shoreline. In many places, the railroad forms a barrier between the coastal watershed and the shoreline preventing the delivery of water, sediment, wood, and organic matter to the nearshore. This results in large-scale degradation of the habitat quality of the nearshore environment, which is important habitat for several trophic levels of the Salish Sea food web. Building upon a science-based prioritization of stream mouths to benefit juvenile Chinook salmon, work is underway to advance regional restoration planning along the railroad. This implementation planning includes working with BNSF and restoration-focused organizations on three main topics: 1) initial feasibility and conceptual design at three of the highest priority stream mouth sites, 2) conceptual restoration categories of treatments for all other stream mouths, and 3) advancing pathways for implementation with added information on project benefits, funding strategies, and lessons learned.