Seattle restores 2.8 acres of lost Duwamish habitat; fish are already returning

For decades, Seattle’s Lower Duwamish River was reshaped to support industry, with large sections of its natural shoreline straightened, filled and hardened. By the 1940s, about 97% of the river’s original habitat had been lost. Now, a section of that habitat is being brought back. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program, a 2.8-acre restoration project has been completed along the river following a more than $23 million pollution settlement. Contaminated soil and old shoreline structures have been removed, while new marsh and riverbank habitat has been created. Fish have already been seen using the restored area.How the Lower Duwamish lost most of its natural habitatThe Lower Duwamish River was once a much more complex natural system, with winding channels, mudflats, marshes and shallow areas that provided shelter and feeding grounds for fish and wildlife.