About the Project
After a century of diking off tidal flow, the Brown Farm Dike was removed to inundate 308 ha of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in October 2009. Along with 57 ha wetlands restored by the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the Nisqually Delta represents the largest tidal marsh restoration project in the Pacific Northwest to assist in recovery of Puget Sound salmon and wildlife populations. Over the past decade, the Refuge and close partners, including the Tribe and Ducks Unlimited, have restored more than 35 km of the historic tidal slough systems and re-connected historic floodplains to Puget Sound, increasing potential salt marsh habitat in the southern reach of Puget Sound by 50%. More »
Restoration News
April 17, 2012: Updated Bird Science page!. Update to Bird Science page now displays data up to December 2011. [Link]
December 12, 2011: Nisqually Estuary restoration receives national award for outstanding coastal protection. EPA. (Seattle—Dec. 10, 2011) The Nisqually Estuary Restoration Team received national accolades for outstanding efforts to restore and protect the coastal environment as a recipient of the Coastal America Partnership Award. This is the only award of its kind presented by the Obama Administration for on-the-ground environmental restoration partnership projects. [Link]
December 08, 2011: Snowy owl 'irruption' thrills birders. NWCN.com. NISQUALLY, Wash. - It sounds like 'eruption' but it's an 'irruption' and it's a blast for bird watchers. It's happening right now at some of Washington State's most popular bird viewing sites and the spotting scopes and cameras are zooming in. [Link]
December 06, 2011: First sighting of South Sound snowy owl in five years. The Olympian. NISQUALLY: Bird last seen in area in 2006 At least one, and perhaps more, snowy owls have been seen in South Sound in recent days, part of an uptick in snowy owl sightings throughout Western Washington. [Link]
December 02, 2011: The Coastal America Partnership will present a Partneship Award to the Nisqually Restoration Team. www.coastalamerica.gov. On December 10th, the Coastal America Partnership will present a Partneship Award to the Nisqually Restoration Team in Olympia, Washington. The team is being recognized for their efforts to restore the Nisqually Delta and Estuary system spearheading the largest ongoing estuary restoration project in the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound. [Link]
September 16, 2011: Finding the treasures in our own back yards. Nisqually Valley News. I’m embarrassed to say it took me a little more than 12 years, but I recently visited the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. If you’ve never visited the refuge, it really is worth seeing. There are miles of nature trails, including the beautiful Nisqually Boardwalk Trail, which winds across the delta toward Puget Sound. [Link]
September 14, 2011: The Nisqually Aquatic Reserve, part of protecting Puget Sound. The Seattle Times. State Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark designated the seventh aquatic reserve on Puget Sound. Oversight of the Nisqually River estuary is part of a broader strategy to protect Puget Sound. [Link]
September 10, 2011: Nisqually now an aquatic reserve. The News Tribune. Washington’s effort to restore the environmental health of Puget Sound by 2020 received a significant boost Friday. In a ceremony at the Nisqually Reach Nature Center near Lacey, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark officially designated as an “aquatic reserve” nearly 15,000 acres of south Puget Sound that fan outward from the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on the Nisqually Delta. [Link]
September 09, 2011: Nisqually Watershed Festival September 24, 2011. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge hosts the Nisqually Watershed Festival each September. Good music, food, guided walks, educational displays, and more await you! Hope you can join us September 24, 2011 for the 22nd annual festival celebrating the rich cultural and natural heritage of the Nisqually Watershed! [Link]
