Nisqually project helps reverse decades of decline

By John Dodge, The Olympian | • Published January 12, 2007

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The Nisqually River Delta is where the action is when it comes to estuary restoration work in Puget Sound.

Just last month, the Nisqually tribe welcomed back the saltwater to a 100-acre expanse of pasture land that hadn't seen the tides flow in and out since it was diked for agricultural use more than 100 years ago.

On the other side of the river, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is poised to pull back similar dikes to restore 700 acres of estuary in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

These large-scale dike removal projects are designed to restore some of the richest biological reserves in Puget Sound, places where the rivers meet the sea and hundreds of species of aquatic plants, invertebrates, fish and sea birds congregate to feed, seek refuge and energize the Puget Sound ecosystem.

It's estuary restoration work designed to reverse decades of habitat-altering losses that have added to what ails Puget Sound. About 70 percent of Puget Sound's major river estuaries have succumbed to population growth and development.

"We're taking the dikes and levees off the rivers in a smart way, giving them a chance to breathe," said Jim Kramer, co-director of the Puget Sound Partnership appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to craft a Puget Sound recovery plan. "And the Nisqually is leading the way."

The Nisqually projects are some of the most valuable estuary projects in Puget Sound, said Polly Hicks, restoration ecologist for NOAA Fisheries.

"We're learning a lot about how quickly the vegetation, salmon and other marine life are drawn back to the area," Hicks said.

Take out the dikes, and the salmon and other sea life start using the areas almost immediately, growing in number and diversity with the passing tides, said Jeanette Dorner, the tribe's salmon recovery program manager.

Nisqually Delta estuary restoration is at the heart of the recovery plan for Puget Sound chinook salmon in the Nisqually River, she said. Studies suggest the estuary work could lead to a doubling of the number of naturally spawning salmon in the river.

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