Qwuloolt Estuary Visit

I had a little time between a job in Marysville and one in Everett so I took a little detour and visited the Qwuloolt Estuary. The estuary is a recent project that is part of a larger project of estuary restoration on the lowermost end of the Snohomish River near Everett and Marysville. The project involved reconnecting the lower flood plains to the river and tidal influences by removing levees along the river. I worked on a very very tiny piece of the project last summer. An overview of the project can be seen HERE. The project also has a web page:http://www.qwuloolt.org/.

The estuary with Everett in the distance 

Estuary with Olympic Range

Estuary with Marysville business park across the water

Raised berms within the estuary to provide mixed habitat as well as reduce wave energy when the estuary is fully flooded

View of north end of estuary and Allen Creek and new levee protecting business park

Much of the lower end of the Snohomish River had been poorly drained farm land. There remains industrial land around Everett and Marysville, waste water treatment lagoons and a huge capped landfill.

The restoration work on other parts of the estuary has greatly altered the landscape along Interstate 5. But the expanse of work is much greater than what can be seen along the freeway. I accessed some views along a trail that is located between a neighborhood and the new estuary on the east side of the estuary. Overtime the project will bring about significant wildlife population changes including hunting and fishing opportunities.