History
and Mission
The Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration
Project is overseen by a
planning team with representatives from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Tulalip Tribes of Washington, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife
Service (USFWS), and Washington Department of Ecology, US Army Corps of
Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service
(NRCS), and the City
of Marysville. Other partners include the Snohomish Basin Salmon
Recovery Forum, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the
non-profit Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries
Enhancement Task
Force.
In 1994 the Natural Resource Trustee Council was formed to assess injury to
natural resources and damages to the public from a now-closed landfill and designated
superfund site in the lower Snohomish
River estuary. From 1964 to 1979, three to four million tons of mixed commercial and
industrial waste was dumped in the landfill, resulting in the loss of 147 acres
of intertidal estuary wetland.
On behalf of the public, the Trustees are responsible for restoring, rehabilitating, replacing, or
acquiring the equivalent of the injured natural resources. The Trustees worked together to determine the
amount of wetland habitat needed to compensate for natural resource injuries. In 1997 the Trustees developed a preliminary
restoration plan that identified the Qwuloolt Project as having the highest
potential for restoring the lost tidal wetlands because of its large size, nearness
to the landfill site, and similar natural features. The Trustees partnered with NRCS and the City
of Marysville, who along with
Tulalip Tribes, own property or easements within the project area, to pursue
restoration on the Qwuloolt. The
non-profit, Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force, is also
a
project partner in implementing community outreach and educational
activities. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will focus on levee
design, engineering, and construction.
Today, project
partners manage over 350 acres of floodplain cut off by dikes from the
natural tidal and river influences of the Snohomish River estuary. The goal of the Qwuloolt Project is to restore the historic and natural
influences of the river and tides and restore a functional estuary wetland
complex that is connected to the broader estuary system.
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Contact Us
Tulalip Tribes
Natural and Cultural Resources Department
6406 Marine Drive
Tulalip, WA 98271
Kurt Nelson
(360) 716-4617
knelson@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Josh Meidav
(360) 716-4597
jmeidav@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
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Visit
Qwuloolt Estuary lies within the Snohomish River estuary
floodplain, adjacent to Ebey slough and three miles upstream
from its outlet into Puget Sound. The project area is located
in Marysville, Washington on lands held in trust for restoration.
To visit by land, Harborview
Park is located on the eastern side of the Qwuloolt. Drive
east on 4th St from I-5 or the City center, turn right on
State St, left on 3rd St/Sunnyside Blvd, and right on 52nd
St. A trail meanders along the edge of the estuary.
To visit by water, Ebey Waterfront
Park boat launch is located less than a mile downstream on
Ebey Slough. Drive east on 4th St from I-5 or the City center,
turn right on State St, and right on 1st St. The four lane
boat launch is open dawn to dusk.
Use the Snohomish
River Estuary Recreation Guide produced by Snohomish County
Parks and Recreation to visit many sites within the estuary.
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