A dirt slope can be seen at the edge of a dry creek bed lined with river rocks. Cranes for the Port of Tacoma can be seen in the distance while rootwad anchors can be seen in the foreground, chained to the creek bed. A snag (upright dead tree) stands in the foreground of a wetland meadow with Port of Tacoma cranes in the background. A snag (upright dead tree) stands in the foreground of a wetland meadow with Port of Tacoma cranes in the background. A dozer moves soil next to a dry creek bed. An aerial view of a creek winding through wetland. Snags (upright dead trees) and logs can be seen throughout the wetland area. The green of the surrounding meadow contrasts sharply with the orange and pink earth immediately around the stream. Streambed cobbles line the S-curve of a dry creek bed. A rootwad anchor is chained to the bottom of a dry creek bed. Rootwad anchors line the curved edge of a dry creek made up of streambed cobbles. A pile of large round boulders sit in a pile in front of an excavator. An aerial view of a creek running under a bridge and into a wetland area full of lupine and other wild plants. Snags (upright dead trees) can be seen in the wetland area. A creek disappears around a corner into a wetland. An aerial view shows Highway 509 and local roads juxtaposed with the creek, which meanders through the wetland.

Lower Wapato Creek Habitat

Date: 2020-2023
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Description

The Lower Wapato Creek Habitat project restores the meandering stream and wetlands environment that existed in Tacoma prior to the 1960s. The project also replaces two culverts with a fish-passable full-span bridge.

Materials

2,100 tons of 6" Streambed Cobbles
1,260 tons of Custom Streambed Cobbles
1,140 tons of Streambed Sediment
590 tons of 4- to 5-Man Streambed Boulders
125 tons of CSTC
70 tons of Permeable Ballast
70 tons of CSBC
30 tons of Gravel Borrow

Highlights

Washington Rock provided streambed cobbles and streambed boulders used for constructing the meandering streambed. In addition to producing our standard cobble mix, we created a custom cobble mix that matches the local stream environment. Our streambed products will provide habitat for fish and other aquatic species.

According to the Port of Tacoma website, the streambed restoration will help to expand and improve “rearing and foraging opportunities for juvenile salmonids.” It will also expand and improve “habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, and groundfish.”

Check out our article, "Bringing Back Lower Wapato Creek: A Wetland Restoration Story." You can also read more about this project on the Port of Tacoma website.

Aerial photos by Joe Barrentine for the Port of Tacoma.

Related Projects

Thea Foss Waterway Shoreline Stabilization

Port Maritime Center

Bellevue Shoreline Restoration