Ecology announces 60% design for Deschutes Estuary restoration; $7.2M in governor’s budget request
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Summary
The Washington State Department of Ecology said the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project has reached 60% design, outlining plans to remove the 5th Avenue dam, dredge about 700,000 cubic yards for on‑site habitat reuse, replace bridges and pursue construction funding; the governor proposed $7.2 million to advance design.
The Washington State Department of Ecology announced on its virtual public briefing that the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project has reached the 60% design milestone and outlined next steps for permitting, funding and construction.
"I'm Babak Talabi. I'm the southwest region director here at the Washington State Department of Ecology and also the project director for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project," Talabi told participants and said the governor included $7,200,000 in his proposed budget to advance the work.
Why it matters: The project aims to reopen the dammed Capitol Lake to tidal flows, restore roughly 260 acres of estuarine and salt‑marsh habitat along two miles of shoreline in south Puget Sound, and improve flood resilience and fish passage in downtown Olympia. Officials said progress to 60% design makes the plan suitable for further permitting and for seeking construction funding, but work including construction start dates remains contingent on the legislature and supplemental budget decisions.
Key facts and proposed work: Lynn Turner, the design lead, summarized the core engineering elements. "So we need to dredge 700,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment that's been deposited over time to be able to reestablish the river channels for our new estuary," Turner said, and the team plans to reuse that dredged material on‑site to build salt‑marsh habitat rather than hauling it offsite.
The plan calls for full removal of the existing 5th Avenue dam to restore tidal flows; during most construction the dam would remain in place to control water levels and keep east‑west traffic moving. A new 5th Avenue bridge is proposed just south of the existing structure to maintain access once the dam is removed. The project also includes replacement of an aging utility/pedestrian bridge at Marathon Park and design work to extend roughly 70 stormwater outfalls through constructed habitat while preventing backflow.
Cost and schedule: Turner and consultant Scott Strainer said the project’s value‑engineering between 30% and 60% design has reduced the construction cost estimate by about $100,000,000 compared with the earlier 30% figure — roughly a 24–25% reduction. Officials said 90% and 100% design will follow as additional field investigations, permitting and stakeholder reviews are completed; if funding permits, major dredging could begin in late 2027 and construction could proceed within the 2027–2029 biennium.
Permitting and cleanup: Fran Sant and others described the permit package process. The project team confirmed the Joint Aquatic Resource Permit Application (JARPA) package is under review by core agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers; staff said they do not expect that regulatory review to require major design changes that would materially alter cost estimates. Separately, the Port of Olympia’s hazardous‑sediment cleanup for West Bay (Bud Inlet) must be completed in coordination with the port and Ecology’s toxic cleanup program prior to dam removal.
Planting, tribal coordination and recreation: Tessa Garner Brown said the 60% planting plan calls for native plantings in intertidal zones and prioritizes plants with cultural value identified in coordination with the Squaxin Island tribe. She said some public access elements such as boardwalks are included at 60% but advancing recreational boardwalks will require additional funding; the design retains multiple public access points and plans for small‑boat launches. On recreation and invasive species, staff said converting the system back to saltwater should eliminate many freshwater invasives and that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will help implement boat‑cleaning stations and monitoring for species such as New Zealand mud snails.
Community questions and design details: During more than an hour of public Q&A, the team addressed numerous local concerns: removing the Arc of Statehood seawall and replacing it with a sloped habitat berm; how a new roundabout replaces a crash‑prone Y intersection and slightly shifts roadway alignments to place the new bridge outside the dam footprint; plans to protect an active railroad bridge; and sequencing so Marathon Park remains passable during much of construction. The updated bridge designs include physically separated bike lanes (drawings indicate 7‑foot lanes), staff said.
What’s next: Ecology is seeking a funding path to complete 90% and 100% design and will continue permitting and stakeholder coordination. The agency invited the public to an in‑person site tour and open house at Heritage Park on Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and said it will hold additional briefings as the legislature and funding decisions permit.
Officials emphasized that many schedule and cost items remain contingent on securing funding through the governor and legislature, continued value engineering and permit reviews. "We see this as a huge opportunity," Talabi said in closing, thanking long‑time community participants and encouraging continued engagement.
