It has become a common saying that the Puget Sound is dying a death of a thousand cuts, with damage to this beloved body of water coming from every angle. One of the deepest cuts, it seems, is development along the shoreline. A recent study shows that the King County area has continued to lose the natural shoreline that sustains marine life. Natural beaches are replaced by structures, particularly bulkheads, that destroy habitat. We believe now is the time for government agencies to do what they can to slow or stop the installation of bulkheads on Vashon and throughout Puget Sound before it’s too late.
Local conservationists say it’s amazing how much more we know about bulkheads and the damage they do than we did just a decade ago. We now know that when a bulkhead is installed at a beach, it actually alters the face of the beach over time, and not in a good way. The natural beach and sand disappears, and along with it habitat that salmon and forage fish need to complete their life cycles. Should the trend continue and these fish disappear, the entire food chain in Puget Sound could collapse. Seeing orcas pass through our waters would be a thing of the past.
We also know bulkheads are not always needed where people once thought they were. Oftentimes more natural and beach-friendly shoreline stabilization will do the same job, or a structure could simply be built a little farther from the shore.
As knowledge evolves, so should policy, but in this case it hasn’t. Permitting agencies do take measures to protect the environment in the work they okay, but according to those familiar with the situation, it’s not enough. On Vashon and in places throughout the sound, a property owner can get a permit to build a new bulkhead even when there are better options.
The Beachcomber has covered efforts by King County and others to remove bulkheads on Vashon, restoring the natural beaches that remain mostly in more rural places. That’s why it’s discouraging to many to learn that we still didn’t get ahead. Enough shoreline was armored that Vashon, as well as the study area, still lost natural shoreline overall. We hope to someday cover efforts by the county and the state, which also permits shoreline work, to not allow new bulkheads in Puget Sound unless they are absolutely necessary. We understand such a move would take political will, but we also believe environmentally conscious King County is the perfect place to start.
