350 linear feet of shoreline armor and debris was removed from Hoypus Point in November 2022 at the north end of Deception Pass State Park near Cornet Bay, restoring nearshore processes and habitat for fish and wildlife while also improving access to the beach. Multiple groups came together to make this project possible. These groups included the Northwest Straits Foundation, Island County Marine Resources Committee, and WA State Parks.
In the early 1900s, the location was the southern terminus for a ferry that crossed Deception Pass to Yokeko Point on Fidalgo Island. The ferry became obsolete once the Deception Pass bridge was constructed in 1935. However, some infrastructure from the ferry remained on site.
Bulkhead walls like this reflect the energy of waves as they hit the beach, causing the finer sand and gravel to be washed away, making the beach courser and steeper. Forage fish like Sandlance and Surf smelt need these beaches to spawn and bury their eggs among the sand.
