For over 75 years, the channel separating Indian and Marrowstone Islands was clogged with sediment resulting from the construction of an earthen berm meant to facilitate transport between the two land masses. It took 10 years of planning and preparation, and another year of boots-on-the-ground construction work to bring the Kilisut Harbor Restoration project to fruition. On a human timescale, this is nearly a lifetime.

On August 14th, 2020, an excavator removed the last remaining section of fill blocking the historic channel between Kilisut Harbor and Oak Bay – reopening it for the first time since the 1940s. And now, a entire year has passed since that momentous day! On an ecological timescale, this is but a blink of the eye. Despite this, in just one year, we have already seen incredible changes here. 

The channel, barren during the project, is absolutely teeming with life.

A diverse array of kelp have rooted themselves in the swift current, creating habitat for various creatures like sculpin and crabs. Mussels, anemones, and even sea stars have started to make a home on the bridge pilings as well.

A few species not seen before in previous monitoring efforts, such as squid and coho salmon, have been documented using the new channel.

Over the course of the last five years, a total of just six juvenile salmonids were spotted in beach seine surveys surveys.

A squid caught during a beach seine conducted the USGS Marrowstone Island Research Station in April. Click the image to learn more! U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard

From atop the bridge at high tide, schools of thousands of forage fish (such as surf smelt, herring, and sand lance) can often be seen elegantly swimming back and forth in the channel.

These little fish are a favorite food for young salmon as they fatten up up for their outward migration!

As the tides roll out, the herons move in. With their long legs and necks, they stand still then quickly shoot their beaks below the water's surface to catch and devour the marine life passing by. This flock, called a siege, consisted of 9 Great Blue Herons!

We've also heard tales from locals of bald eagles swooping down to catch juvenile salmon, more abundant cutthroat when out fly fishing, and spontaneous fully-clothed swims in the cool water. It warms the hearts of every person at the Salmon Coalition to know what this channel means to the fish and people we serve. Again and again, we are endlessly thankful for your support.

With the community and our partners, we have accomplished something great that will create rippling changes throughout the ecosystem: from the young salmon making their way out to the ocean, to the herons catching their lunch, to the baitfish trying to escape from both, and to the humans crossing the bridge or paddling the channel. We cannot wait to see what other changes lie ahead for this channel in the coming years, decades, and centuries! Our friends from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe have taken the lead on monitoring this project, and we’re excited to learn from the invaluable data they are gathering.

Want to learn more about the Kilisut Harbor Restoration Project? Rebecca Benjamin, our Executive Director, shared great conversation with Hans Daubenberger of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Randy Johnson from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, and Coastal Café’s Aaron Barnett.

Huge thank you to all of our Members who have joined or re-joined the Salmon Coalition! Some of our most important programs, like our education and volunteer programs, are supported by members like you. Already your donations are helping as we launch our Spawner Surveys on Chimacum Creek. Volunteers are trained up and this week they hit the creek to count the salmon and take scale samples, collecting important data for us and our partners. If you haven’t joined yet, there’s still time! Your first donation of our fiscal year (July through June) counts you as a member and any amount is appreciated and welcome. Click the link below to join now if you haven’t already!

Salmon Coalition staff got to spend a beautiful afternoon at Isthmus Beach with families from the Washington Outdoor School, located in central Washington. Together, we learned about the Kilisut Harbor Restoration Project, what we can do to keep our nearshore ecosystems healthy, and played an exploratory game of beach bingo!

Members of Great Old Broads for Wilderness gathered on the Olympic Peninsula from across the American West a few weeks ago. As a service project, several of them joined the Salmon Coalition to remove 220 pounds of invasive Butterfly Bush seed heads from banks of the Dungeness River at the Dungeness River Center. Thank you all for your service!