Skip to Main Content
Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) - Pacific RegionNOAA Logo

Northeast Region
Northwest Region
Southeast Region
Southwest Region
Great Lakes Region
Partnerships
Archives
Glossary
Related Websites
Home


Department of Commerce Logo

Restoration Activities
Case: Elliott Bay/Duwamish River, WA

At this point in time, natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) restoration is being conducted under a consent decree with the City of Seattle and King County. Briefly, the Elliott Bay/Duwamish River Restoration Program (EB/DRRP) was established to implement the sediment remediation, habitat development, and source control provisions of that settlement. It is anticipated that future settlements as a result of the assessment process being conducted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as other Trustee efforts will result in additional NRDA restoration projects in the Elliott Bay environment.

Restoration Summary

The Concept Document summary and the two addenda provide some background information on the Program and the evaluation and ranking of potential remediation and habitat development sites. At this time, all sediment remediation and habitat development projects under the Program have been completed, except for monitoring activities which are on-going.

  • Pier 53/55 Sediment Cap. Twenty-two thousand cubic yards of clean sand were placed, one to three feet thick, on 4.5 acres of contaminated bottom sediments offshore of Piers 53, 54, and 55, along Seattle's downtown waterfront. Contamination consisted of a number of chemicals and metals. Monitoring results indicate that the cap is stable and isolating contaminated sediments as designed. See fact sheet .

  • Norfolk Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Sediment Remediation Project. This CSO is located near the south end of Boeing Field. The sediments around the outfall contained high levels of contaminants, including mercury, bis (2-ethylhexy) phthalate, and PCBs. Remediation of this site began in February 1999 and was completed in March 1999. Contaminated sediments were dredged, and the dredged area was backfilled with clean sediment. A total of 5,190 cubic yards of sediment were removed.

  • Diagonal/Duwamish Combined Sewer Overflow. This site is located on the east side of the Duwamish River, upstream of Harbor Island and immediately downstream of Kellogg Island. It is downriver from the Norfolk CSO site, and was also sampled in 1994 and 1995. PCBs, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates, mercury, and butyl benzyl phthalates were identified as the primary chemicals of concern. Seven acres were dredged beginning in November 2003, and capping with clean material was completed in March 2004. See fact sheet .

  • Waterfront Recontamination Study. The Panel sponsored a study of Elliott Bay's central waterfront in 1993 to investigate sources of contamination, transport and circulation patterns, and depositional rates. See fact sheet .

  • Elliott Bay Nearshore Substrate Enhancement Project. In March 1998, four materials (cobble, quarry spall, pea gravel, and oyster shell) were placed in eight plots to enhance productivity of benthic infauna, increase distribution of macroalgae, and improve habitat attributes that support resident and migratory fish species. Monitoring indicated that macroalgae and sessile invertebrates increased in the plots. Both fish and epibenthic invertebrates appear to have benefited from this project.

  • Herring's House Park and Intertidal Habitat Restoration Project (formerly, Seaboard Lumber Site Aquatic Habitat Project). This project was completed in 2000, except for monitoring which continues. The work included removal of mill structures, a shoreline dock, and contaminated sediments. A 1.8 acre intertidal bay was created, with fringing emergent vegetation in an intertidal zone. Riparian vegetation was also planted to create a riparian buffer.

  • Hamm Creek Habitat Restoration Project/City Light North Project. This project is on a 6.2-acres near the Turning Basin No. 3 on the Duwamish Waterway. The project resulted in the creation of two acres of freshwater marsh, one acre of intertidal estuarine marsh, and 1,900 feet of new riparian stream bed. The connection to the Duwamish was designed to be “fish-passable” to allow access to Hamm Creek for salmonid spawning.

  • Turning Basin No. 3. Restoration Project. This project is located on the former Kenco Marine Services property. An old building, dock, and grounded barges were removed. Fill material was removed to push back the shoreline. Marsh and riparian vegetation were planted. The project was completed in April 2006.

  • North Wind's Weir Restoration Project. This project is located at Cecil B. Moses Park, upstream of the Turning Basin No. 3. A one-acre basin was created to provide off-channel habitat for out-migrating salmonids. Emergent and riparian vegetation was planted.

  • Porter Levee Site. The Porter Levee site is a 30-acre parcel adjacent to the Green River. The Panel has contributed approximately $390,000 toward acquisition costs for this property. The U.S. Army Corps (Corps) of Engineers provided a similar amount under its Section 1135 funding program for construction activities at the site. In August 1999, the Corps' construction effort restored the Green River's connection to an isolated channel. This reconnection provides fish access to an eight-acre side channel and 13 acres of riparian wetland, and allows for salmon refuge from high flows and over-wintering habitat for juveniles. This type of habitat is extremely limited along the middle Green River. See fact sheet .

  • Site 1 The Panel contributed $611,000 toward the purchase of this property by King County. Working with the Corps, King County will design and construct more than two acres of off-channel intertidal slough at the critical transition zone of salt and freshwater mixing.


  • Public Involvement
  • Remedial/Injury Assessment
  • Settlements
  • Restoration Activities  
 
  • Administrative Record
  • Related Documents
  • Case Team Contacts
  • Additional Links
  • Photo Gallery
  • Case Home
The Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF documents. Click on the Acrobat Reader icon to download the latest version.

Adobe Acrobat Reader