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Washington
Port Susan Bay Preserve
Port Susan Bay holds some of the finest estuarine habitat in Puget Sound. Its marshes, vast mudflats and tidally influenced channels support hundreds of thousands of birds, several species of salmon, smelt, English sole and clams. Western sandpipers, dunlins and dowitchers swoop over the mudflats. Wrangel Island snow geese gather by the thousands in tidal marshes and on nearby farm fields. And hundreds of raptors, from peregrine falcons to short-eared owls, add to the drama.
The Stillaguamish River spills into the bay, mixing freshwater and saltwater to create extensive estuarine marshes that produce a vast quantity of decaying organic matter, which feeds the abundant invertebrate life in the tide flat sediments. These tiny creatures, in turn, feed the shorebirds and waterfowl that make Port Susan Bay and adjacent Skagit Bay important stops for migratory birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway.
Conservation Actions
The Conservancy owns the 4,122-acre Port Susan Bay Preserve, which encompasses much of the Stillaguamish River estuary, including 166 acres of artificially diked uplands. The property is managed in a way that benefits the vibrant estuary system and its salmon, birds and other wildlife.
An experimental project called Farming for Wildlife was inspired by the diked wetland. This pilot project seeks to increase the value of some farm fields as habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.
Conservancy staff and volunteers have made great strides to control Spartina anglica in Port Susan Bay. Much of the estimated 100 solid acres that infested more than 2,000 acres of estuarine mudflat and marsh in 1997 has been eliminated. Only about two solid acres still remain scattered across the area. Strong partnerships and innovative research continue to provide focused support in effectively controlling this invasive, non-native plant.
Conservancy scientists are also researching effective estuarine restoration techniques, including building log jams in the intertidal channels to discover whether they improve habitat for juvenile salmon and other fish.
Roger Fuller, an estuarine ecologist for the Conservancy, is using Port Susan Bay as a laboratory for studying climate change.
Read a fact sheet about the Port Susan Bay Large Wood project.
Conservation Context
The Port Susan Bay Preserve is part of a larger landscape that is important for both wildlife and people. A collaborative, non-regulatory Marine Stewardship Area has been proposed for the entire Port Susan Bay and nearby uplands. You can read more on the Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee website.
Photos
Things To Do
Plan Your Visit
The public is allowed to visit this preserve, but prior arrangements must be made. Anyone interested in visiting should contact Pat Hampton at phampton@tnc.org or 360-419-3140, or Joelene Diehl at jdiehl@tnc.org or 360-419-3125.
Directions
Discussion
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Add Your Comments
Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!
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