OLYMPIA — An online meeting tonight will provide an update on the design of a proposed project at the mouth of the Duckabush River to raise U.S. Highway 101 onto a bridge so as to reconnect the Duckabush River to its floodplain and wetlands.
The virtual meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. tonight here.
It will be hosted by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, according to a Fish and Wildlife press release.
The two have partnered with the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Transportation to complete a preliminary design of the estuary restoration project, which would occur primarily on public land at the Duckabush Wildlife Area Unit managed by Fish and Wildlife.
The bridge would be over the area where freshwater from the river meets saltwater of Hood Canal.
The update will include a timeline, as well as maps and graphics, with a 3D post-project visualization.
A question-and-answer session will be part of the presentation.
“Our project team of engineers, biologists, and other specialists have been working hard to refine the design of this important estuary restoration project,” said Theresa Mitchell, restoration project manager with Fish and Wildlife.
“We look forward to sharing an update with the community, and regret that we cannot host an in-person open-house meeting.”
The Duckabush River estuary has been impacted by fill, dikes and road infrastructure, which block water channels and limit critical habitat for fish and wildlife, including endangered salmon species, Fish and Wildlife said in the release.
More information on the proposed project is available on WDFW’s website here.
For information on assistance, visit here.
