Presentation Abstract
Monitoring efforts to restore physical and biological functions along developed shorelines can take many forms and be influenced by monitoring goals, the scope and scale of the project, and available resources. The Powel project in Port Madison on Bainbridge Island, Washington, had regional significance because of its scale (removing 1544 lineal feet of armor), the diversity of types of armor and shoreline, and its private ownership, but it lacked the funding to support a broad, long-term monitoring program. Not willing to let the opportunity pass without some effort to gather as much appropriate information as possible about the impact and effectiveness of the project, the project sponsor (Bainbridge Island Land Trust) partnered with Washington Sea Grant, the UW and WSU Kitsap Extension, and local volunteers to establish and adaptively manage a project to collect physical and biological information before and after construction. Volunteer support of the project allowed for the collection of more information over a longer period of time with fewer resources than would have otherwise been possible. Volunteer contributions also lead to practical and creative adaptation of monitoring that improved the outcomes and provided additional information. With a year of data collection prior to construction and three years after, changes have been documented, lessons have been learned, and motivation is even stronger to continue observing the project long-term.
Session Title
Shoreline Monitoring: Citizen Science, Restoration Effectiveness, and Data Integration
Conference Track
Engagement
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Volunteer workers in environmental education--Washington (State)--Bainbridge Island; Coastal zone management--Washington (State)--Bainbridge Island; Coastal biodiversity conservation--Washington (State)--Bainbridge Island
Geographic Coverage
Bainbridge Island (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons
Volunteer-assisted monitoring of a significant private bulkhead removal
2016SSEC
Monitoring efforts to restore physical and biological functions along developed shorelines can take many forms and be influenced by monitoring goals, the scope and scale of the project, and available resources. The Powel project in Port Madison on Bainbridge Island, Washington, had regional significance because of its scale (removing 1544 lineal feet of armor), the diversity of types of armor and shoreline, and its private ownership, but it lacked the funding to support a broad, long-term monitoring program. Not willing to let the opportunity pass without some effort to gather as much appropriate information as possible about the impact and effectiveness of the project, the project sponsor (Bainbridge Island Land Trust) partnered with Washington Sea Grant, the UW and WSU Kitsap Extension, and local volunteers to establish and adaptively manage a project to collect physical and biological information before and after construction. Volunteer support of the project allowed for the collection of more information over a longer period of time with fewer resources than would have otherwise been possible. Volunteer contributions also lead to practical and creative adaptation of monitoring that improved the outcomes and provided additional information. With a year of data collection prior to construction and three years after, changes have been documented, lessons have been learned, and motivation is even stronger to continue observing the project long-term.
