Still Harbor Shoreline Restoration Feasibility Study at McNeil Island

McNeil Island offers a unique opportunity to protect and restore natural habitat in a large setting within Puget Sound. Much of the shoreline of the island is in a natural state, retaining high quality habitat due to limited access by the public. However, development related to the historic use of the island for a federal penitentiary resulted in some locations being highly impacted and relict structures or debris along shorelines. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) desire to collaborate on habitat restoration at impacted sites to return as much of the island to natural conditions as possible. WDFW worked with DNR to survey the shoreline of McNeil Island for potential beach cleanup sites and to collect information on four potential habitat restoration sites for further assessment.

Herrera’s team is providing an armor removal feasibility assessment, wetlands & habitat assessments, sea level rise model, groin removal and stream mouth nearshore restoration designs, alternatives analysis, and permitting support.