Seattle's Salmon Seawall Project Gets Boost from Triton Marine Mattresses
by Steve Williams, P.E., on June 30, 2020
As the City of Seattle grew, its naturally sloping beaches gave way to concrete seawalls and large ships, creating havoc on the dwindling Chinook salmon population. Since Chinook is listed as an endangered species, the City decided to use the construction of its $410 million seawall project as an opportunity to rejuvenate the numbers. The new seawall construction includes habitat enhancements designed to restore the salmon migration corridor and improve ecosystem productivity.
Triton Marine Mattresses were installed at the base of the Seattle seawall's face to create a "habitat bench." The rocks inside the mattresses create crevices and vegetated hiding places for the young salmon as they migrate along the waterfront. The more they eat and grow as they migrate to the open Puget Sound and beyond, the better chance they have for survival and then return to mate. This video from Waterfront Seattle shows the installation of these mattresses and how they created this innovative salmon habitat.
The seawall project was completed in 2017 and early research indicated positive news for the Chinook. Learn more about this seawall project in this informative article from The Seattle Times.
Curious about Triton Marine Mattresses? Join us on resource center where you can learn how they work to create living shorelines and combat coastal erosion.