“The estuary restoration, combined with 140 acres previously restored by the Nisqually tribe, boosts the amount of salt marsh habitat critical for salmon, shorebirds and other species by 50 percent in South Sound, noted Jean Takekawa, refuge manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service…

At the end of the 19th century, the Nisqually estuary was intact, but in the early 1900s about 1,000 acres was diked for farming. Since the 1970s, U.S. Fish and Wildlife managed the area as freshwater wetlands, an effort made difficult by invasive plants.

By reconnecting the wetlands with the Nisqually River, McAllister Creek and Puget Sound, more than 21 miles of tidal channels and sloughs will be restored in the estuary,” quoting The Olympian.

“People are welcome here too. By 2010 there will be a mile-long boardwalk that will allow visitors to walk out into an actual tidal plain to experience an estuary at work.

Biologists say the return of the tides will help rid the area of non-native plants that choke out native species and will create perfect habitat for wildlife,” from KING-5 TV News.
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