Work to complete a major joint ecosystem restoration project at Seahurst Park in Burien kicks off during a groundbreaking ceremony set for Sept. 16 at the park.
The ceremony celebrates the Seahurst Park Ecosystem Restoration Project Phase 2 start.
The Corps and City of Burien completed Phase 1 in 2005 and have been working toward getting funding and completing the project since then.
For the City of Burien, Seahurst Park is one of its most important assets, and the city has worked the past 10 years to remove the hard armoring lining the shore and restore natural nearshore processes.
“ This restoration will be the largest bulkhead removal, shoreline restoration project on Puget Sound and it’s a big deal for a city our size, ” said Burien Mayor Brian Bennett .
The project will improve marine habitat for salmon and other endangered species, restore natural sediment processes, the beach to pre-seawall conditions and the park’s recreational features.
Phase 1 removed about 1,000 feet of seawall and Phase 2 will nearly double that, removing about 1,800 feet of the armoring. Corps Project Manager Leah Wickstrom announced the Corps awarded a $6.2 million construction contract September 6 to California-headquartered CKY Inc, a civil and environmental construction company with a Seattle office.
“We’re very excited to begin this next phase of the project,” said Wickstrom. “It will be great to celebrate this milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony. The City of Burien and their partners’ dedication to this project made all the difference; everyone has put in so much work.”
The Corps of Engineers is providing $5 million, the maximum allowed by PSAWR authority. The City of Burien, sponsor for the Corps project, partnered with several federal, state and local organizations. City partners are supporting the city by providing $4.2 million state capital dollars allocated by Puget Sound Partnership through the Puget Sound Acquisition & Restoration fund; $1.2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Estuary & Salmon Restoration Program; and $510,000 from the Green/Duwamish Watershed Forum through the King Conservation District.
“Removal of shoreline armoring is a recovery target for the Puget Sound Action Agenda. By 2020, we need to be removing more shoreline armoring than we’re adding,” said Marc Daily, PSP’s interim executive director. “This Seahurst shoreline restoration project is a significant step in moving Puget Sound recovery toward that goal.”
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Press Release, September 16, 2013