Parsons Restoration Project

Parsons construction map. Click on image to enlarge. Project Summary Construction in 2009-2010. The City of Tacoma was to construct, monitor and maintain five habitat restoration projects (Middle Waterway, Swan Creek, Tahoma Salt Marsh, Hylebos Marsh, and Olympic View) in the Commencement Bay area in cooperation with the trustees, fund Trustee involvement in the restoration projects, support tribal trustees in overseeing the projects and enforcing environmental regulations, operate a pollution-reporting hotline, and provide in-kind services for both restoration planning and implementation and for further efforts to identify and quantify natural resource injuries requiring restoration. Restoration Activities The Parsons restoration project replaces the Hylebos Marsh restoration project originally approved under the City of Tacoma consent decree. The Port of Tacoma requested that the Trustees and the City of Tacoma agree to substitute this project for the Hylebos Marsh project in order to permit the Port to make use of the Hylebos Marsh project site in connection with the Port's development plans. The consent decree with the City of Tacoma contemplated and made provision for potential project substitutions. The Trustees agreed to the substitution after determining that the project would be of equal or greater ecological value to injured Commencement Bay natural resources than the Hylebos Marsh project. Elements Restoration Actions Construction of Intertidal Habitat. A 0.09-acre intertidal bench will be constructed along the north bank of Hylebos Creek at the south end of the site in order to increase the aquatic habitat area of the site. It will also provide additional intertidal habitat for juvenile salmonid and avian species. Restore riparian buffer habitat along Hylebos Creek. Approximately 0.59 acres of riparian buffer area along Hylebos Creek will be relocated and restored to increase the quality of the buffer habitat on the site. Construction of tidal channel and freshwater marsh habitat. Approximately 1.0 acres of tidal channel and freshwater marsh habitat will be constructed immediately north of the Hylebos Creek channel. Preservation of open water habitat. Approximately 0.68 acres of existing open water habitat within the Hylebos Creek channel will be preserved to protect the existing aquatic habitat functions from impacts of potential future development. Restoration of native riparian vegetation. Riparian vegetation along 244 lineal feet of Hylebos Creek will be restored. Construction of freshwater marsh habitat. Approximately 0.05 acres of freshwater marsh habitat will be constructed. Preservation of forested riparian habitat. Approximately 0.47 acres of forest riparian habitat will be preserved. Restoration of forested riparian habitat. Approximately 0.37 acres of forest riparian habitat will be restored through planting of native trees and shrubs. Construction of freshwater marsh and open water habitat. Approximately 0.31 acres of freshwater marsh and open water habitat will be constructed. Preservation of forested habitat. Approximately 7.61 acres of forested hillside will be preserved. Plant installation in disturbed buffer habitat. Approximately 2.55 acres of disturbed buffer habitat will be planted with native tree and shrub species. FUNDING The City of Tacoma funded this project under the settlement. DRIVING DIRECTIONS Not available at this time. RELATED DOCUMENTS Consent Decree 05/97. 1997 - United States et al., State of Washington, Puyallup Tribe of Indians and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe v. The City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Public Utility, Civ. No. C97-5336RJB (W.D. Wash., Dec. 30, 1997). (PDF, 2410 KB) Appendix D, Hylebos Marsh and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project Concept Plan 03/97. (PDF, 1440 KB) Settlements Page provides additional information about the City of Tacoma settlement. Parsons Project Plan PHOTOS Pending.