Template:IPU 174

Nearshore Strategies Data Report

Cereghino et al 2012 describes a sound-wide analysis to identify and describe coastal inlet sites in Puget Sounds as part of a nearshore ecosystem restoration strategy (using remote sensing data c. 2000-2006). The following narrative was developed to support distribution and use of analysis results:

Coastal Inlet Site 174 is one of 49 coastal inlets identified in the South Central Sub-basin. This embayment had a historic length of 267 meters, with 0 acres of vegetated wetland, receiving flows from a 3.2 square km watershed. Based on these metrics, it ranks 43 out of 49 in its subbasin, and scores 19 out of 100 point in terms of size and complexity among all Puget Sound Coastal Inlets. The PSNERP Strategy Analysis assigned this site to group P1, a very large group of 99 coastal inlets with very small wetlands and below average length and watershed area.

Over five generations of coastal inlet development, mapping suggests this embayment may have increased its mapped embayment shoreline length by 133%, and 35% of current shoreline has evidence of tidal flow degradation. An estimated 16% of the nearshore zone, and 9% of the contributing watershed has impervious surfaces greater than 10%. Based on these metrics, this site ranks 44 out of 49 in its sub-basin, and scores 48 out of 100 points among all Puget Sound coastal inlets, in terms of the intensity and complexity of degradation. The PSNERP Strategy Analysis assigned this site to group D1, a very large and variable group of 162 sites with low potential for lost length, and not particularly high levels of shoreline modification, or development in the nearshore and watershed. Based on this assignement, the site is recommended for a management approach focussed on protection of ecosystem processes to prevent degradation of ecosystem services in the future.