Shoreline Hardening Survey

Manmade alterations to the shoreline often disrupt the natural conditions necessary for such activities as forage fish spawning and eelgrass growth. So it is important to know where such structures are located along our nearshore and to eliminate any that are no longer needed or dysfunctional.

Starting with a survey by WSU Beach Watchers in 2002, Beach Watchers and contractors hired by the MRC have surveyed the entire shoreline of both Whidbey and Camano islands with satellite GPS systems. They have mapped and photographed the structures they found -- bulkheads, groins, ramps, piers, pilings, concrete, steel rails and rubber tires.