Ala Spit Armor Removal

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 2

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: 10

WRIA: 6

CITY, COUNTY: Whidbey Island, Island County

Project Summary

Ala Spit, on the northeastern shore of Whidbey Island, is an important habitat for juvenile salmon and forage fish, but was damaged by alterations. Installation of a concrete retaining wall, or shoreline armor, in the 1960s has thinned and steepened the beach, causing loss of nearshore habitat spawning areas for forage fish and harming the pocket estuary that shelters young salmon. The Ala Spit restoration project removed the shoreline armor and improved conditions for large driftwood and logs to lodge on the beach. The large woody debris helps to stabilize sediment and bring back a healthier beach.

ala_spit_armor

Key Actions

0.15 miles of shoreline armor removed
1.7 miles of shoreline enhanced

Benefits

Beach nourishment, or substrate added to the beach, offers spawning habitat for forage fish
Forage fish (herring, sand lance, surf smelt) are an essential food for juvenile salmon, marine birds, and marine mammals
Removal of shoreline armoring allows recreational access to the beach, reconnects sediment sources to the beach, and makes room for woody debris that provide shelter for birds

Project Partners