Habitat restoration by the Port of Seattle moves forward on the Duwamish River

The Port of Seattle Commission has approved the construction a new 13.5-acre (5.4-hectare) Duwamish River Park with 2,500 linear feet (762 metres) of shoreline. The Terminal 117 Habitat Restoration and Duwamish Shoreline Access Project will create upland habitat and restore priority habitat for Chinook salmon and other imperiled species in the Duwamish River.

In addition to supporting urgent salmon recovery needs, this unique project addresses long-standing community needs for increased greenspace. The formerly contaminated industrial property will be transformed into a port-owned public and habitat area that will include a viewpoint pier, public art, walkways, and elevated viewpoints of the river.

The project site will include restored estuarine habitat, shallow subtidal areas, mud flat, and marsh buffer. Estuarine habitat, once abundant in the Duwamish Estuary, is now very rare. The project is strategically located in the estuarine transition zone of the Duwamish Waterway, where out-migrating juvenile salmon acclimate into saltwater environments farther downstream.