A Marsh Through Time

Compiled by Marty Jones

Native Use of the Marsh

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Let’s start our journey through the Edmonds Marsh a thousand or more years ago. The Coast Salish Native Peoples used the Puget Sound shorelines in many ways to sustain their livelihood, including fishing, shellfish gathering, and harvesting of plants to make clothing, mats, and baskets. This map drawn in 1986 by Snoqualmie Elders Earnest Barr and Ed Davis (who was 98 years old at the time and witnessed Native daily life throughout Puget Sound in the late 1800s and early 1900s) shows that the current Edmonds area was indeed a historical fishing village and clam digging site shared by the coastal tribes, a tradition that continues today under tribal fishing rights.

The Tule Gatherers. Photo by Edward S. Curtis.

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Homeward. Photo by Edward S. Curtis.

The Edmonds Marsh and coastal wetlands initially encompassed about 100 acres along the shoreline of what is now the city of Edmonds as shown in this map from the Tulalip tribal archives. Creeks later known as Willow and its tributary Shellabarger flowed through the marsh to the Sound and salt water moved into the marsh through these tidal openings, allowing native salmon to enter the creeks in the marsh.

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Development Degrades the Marsh

In 1870 George Brackett bought the property that would become Edmonds, and soon afterward ditches and tide gates were built to drain the marshy area near the waterfront for development. Sawmills and the Great Northern Railway were built along the waterfront, and the marsh was used for agricultural purposes. In the early 1920s Unocal began filling and developing the marsh property in order to build a bulk fuel terminal and asphalt plant at the south end.

During the Unocal ownership of the marsh property, Willow Creek was diverted to a drainage ditch along a detention pond on their site and then entered a 1300-foot underground culvert beneath the railroad tracks and Marina Beach out to Puget Sound. A tide gate in the culvert stopped the natural inflow of saltwater. Freshwater cattails became the dominant plant in the marsh. In 1948 the Port of Edmonds was formed and a new ferry terminal and marina with breakwater were built in the 1960s. Filling of the northern part of the marsh (where Harbor Square is now located) by the City of Edmonds, the Port of Edmonds, and various businesses who leased property from Unocal during the 1950s to the 1980s reduced the marsh to its current size of 22.5 acres. The Harbor Square area was sold to the Port of Edmonds in 1978, and in 1981, Unocal deeded the remainder of the marsh property to the City of Edmonds.

View of the marsh in 2016.

Recent Changes in the Marsh

In 1988 the tide gate was reopened during part of the year (it is closed during late-fall and winter high tides to prevent flooding of surrounding areas) allowing flow of saltwater from Puget Sound into the marsh and a partial return to its former condition including the salt-tolerant native plants. A few salmon defiantly made their way back into the marsh creeks despite the long trek through the culvert. The marsh was declared a wildlife sanctuary, and a boardwalk and viewing platforms with informational panels were installed. Volunteer work parties have planted native species around the edges of the marsh. The Unocal fuel terminal was closed in 1991 and cleanup of the site began soon after and continues today. In the early 2000s, the culvert was extended farther out into Puget Sound because of blockage by sediment in the pipe. No salmon have been seen in the marsh creeks since that time.

Photo courtesy of Friends of the Marsh.

Marsh Forward

The Edmonds marsh and adjacent areas welcome over 190 bird species and other wildlife (including deer, river otter, coyote, amphibians, reptiles, and insects) in addition to birders, photographers, students, and walkers out for a breath of nature. It is the first stop on the Cascade Loop of Audubon Washington’s Washington State Birding Trail and hosts the annual Puget Sound Bird Fest every September attracting visitors from all over the country.

Photo by Jeanine Harles.

Photo by Bill Anderson.

Plans are underway to liberate Willow Creek from the underground culvert, allowing free exchange of fresh water and salt water to encourage the return of salmon and the restoration of native plant and wildlife habitat to its pre-urban condition. Serious threats to the health of the marsh continue, including storm water runoff from roads and other paved surfaces and plans for new development adjacent to the marsh. Save Our Marsh is dedicated to restoring and protecting this ancient treasure which was preserved and used sustainably by the Coast Salish tribes for countless generations and now is one of the few saltwater marshes left in urban Puget Sound.

The Mussel Gatherer. Photo by Edward S. Curtis.

Photo by Bill Anderson.

Photo by Bill Anderson.

Upcoming Events - Don't Miss Out!

Photo: Dr. Amanda Rodewald

Making Your Cup Count: How Coffee Can Fuel Migratory Bird Conservation (online)

November 20, 6:00-7:00pm

Please join us for this very special event in support of birds and wildlife!

We hope you’ll join us for this very special presentation by Dr. Rodewald from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! While we are unable to have our traditional in-person Feast in the Forest fundraiser, we are thrilled to have such an esteemed guest as our featured speaker for this online fundraising event!

This special fundraising event will support the work of our Chapter in communities throughout Snohomish County and Camano Island.

This exclusive event will not be recorded, so the only way to enjoy the presentation is to attend the live event. Plus, you will have an opportunity to interact with Dr. Rodewald afterwards.

Presentation Description
Many of the planet’s biodiversity hotspots face widespread deforestation, land degradation, and poverty, and, as such, require creative ways to sustain species, protect ecosystem services, and support human health and well-being. Shade-grown coffee farms are well-suited to simultaneously meet social and ecological needs. When coffee is grown under trees, farms can supply a variety of products (e.g., coffee, fruits, firewood, lumber, and medicines), while at the same time provide forest cover, support diverse species assemblages, and reduce erosion and chemical use compared to other intensive agricultural systems. Perhaps no other group better highlights the positive role that shade-coffee can play in conservation than Neotropical migratory birds, which heavily use shade-coffee farms. Unfortunately, traditional shade management has given way to intensive “sun coffee” monocultures. In her talk, Dr. Rodewald will discuss how shade-coffee and other agroforestry practices can support bird conservation, healthy ecosystems, and human communities in Latin America.

About Dr. Rodewald
Amanda D. Rodewald is the Garvin Professor and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University. Prior to joining the Cornell faculty in 2013, she spent 13 years as a professor at The Ohio State University. Amanda received a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from University of Montana, an M.S. in Zoology from University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Ornithological Society, among others. Dr. Rodewald directs an interdisciplinary, international research program in ecological and sustainability sciences that seeks to identify conservation strategies that support both people and the environment. She has published over 165 scientific papers, 9 book chapters, and 60 popular articles for broad audiences, and she consistently engages with managers, decision-makers, community members, and private sector partners. Dr. Rodewald also supports science-based decision-making and policy by serving on advisory boards including the Science Advisory Board of US EPA, delivering briefings and testifying to Congressional leaders and staffers, testifying to Congress, and writing for policy-focused outlets like The Hill.

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Monthly Program: Reproductive Ecology of the White-headed Woodpecker in Washington’s Ponderosa Pine Forests (online)

November 12, 7:00-8:30pm

Guest Speaker: Jeff Kozma

In Washington, the White-headed Woodpecker is listed as a species of concern due to its association with old-growth ponderosa pine forests. Although White-headed Woodpeckers have recently been documented inhabiting early to mid-seral managed forests, information is limited regarding their reproductive success and general ecology in these forests. For the last 18 years, Jeff Kozma, a wildlife biologist for the Yakama Nation, has been studying the ecology of White-headed Woodpeckers in managed ponderosa pine forests of the eastern Cascades. Jeff will present highlights from his research including nest-site characteristics, reproductive success, and nestling provisioning (i.e., who feeds the kids and what are they feeding them). He will also present a brief summary of findings from a project conducted by Teresa Lorenz, a graduate student at the University of Idaho, who investigated home range size and habitat use by White-headed Woodpeckers using radio telemetry and also preliminary results from a long-term banding study he has been conducting since 2011 investigating adult longevity. We hope you can make it to learn more about this iconic species of our ponderosa pine forests.

Jeff received his B.S. Degree in Environmental Forest Biology from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse. He later received his M.S. Degree in Wildlife Science at Texas Tech University where he studied the use of Chihuahuan Desert arroyos and adjacent uplands by migrant and breeding birds in southern New Mexico. After graduating, he began working as a Wildlife Biologist at the Yakima Training Center where he monitored Sage Grouse, did raptor and non-game bird surveys, and was involved with restoration of seeps, springs, and riparian areas. He is currently working as a Wildlife Biologist for the Yakama Nation where he has been studying the reproductive biology of White-headed Woodpeckers and other cavity-nesting birds in managed forests for the last 18 years.

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All About Christmas Bird Counts (online)

December 9, 6:30-8:00pm

Free event hosted by the Everett Public Libary

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count, or CBC, began on Christmas Day in 1900 as an alternative to the current tradition at the time: a Christmas bird hunt. Instead of shooting them, enthusiasts began trying to count as many birds as possible. Information collected ever since on the many different bird species found in North America has been vital to scientists in assessing the health of and trends in bird populations. Over half of the 588 North American bird species are in trouble from loss of habitat, climate change, and many other factors. The CBC is an excellent example of the importance of Community Science. By signing up to participate in a local count, you can help identify what actions need to be taken to protect birds and their habitats.

Christmas Bird Counts take place annually all over North America between December 14 and January 5, and here in Washington State for example, there were 40 held in 2020. Pilchuck Audubon Society sponsors two CBCs in Snohomish County. The Edmonds/South County count will be on December 18 and the Everett/Marysville count will be on January 1. To learn more about our local counts and to sign up, please visit: https://www.pilchuckaudubon.org/christmas-bird-count

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Christmas Bird Count - Save the Date!

This year's CBC dates have been set and we hope you'll join us for one or both!

Edmonds/South County CBC: December 18
Everett/Marysville CBC: January 1