Meadowdale Beach Park and Estuary Restoration

Project Title: Meadowdale Beach Park and Estuary Restoration
Landscape Architect: Anchor QEA
Category: General Design, Public Ownership
Award: Award of Excellence
Location: Edmonds, WA
Description:
Meadowdale Beach Park and Estuary Restoration is the first completed pocket estuary restoration along BNSF Railway’s 46 miles of mainline track bordering Puget Sound. The design strategically improves coastal resiliency, public safety, salmon habitat, and shoreline access along one of the railroad’s busiest routes in the Pacific Northwest, linking Seattle to Vancouver B.C. Largely lost to development, pocket estuaries play a critical role in the survival of out-migrating juvenile salmon, including ESA-listed Chinook salmon, a crucial food source for endangered Southern Resident orcas. To restore the estuary and Lunds Gulch Creek, the project replaces the undersized culvert below the BNSF mainline with a 130-foot railroad bridge, removing a fish barrier and restoring sediment flow, a habitat forming process essential to Puget Sound’s ecosystem. Restoration actions also include extensive fill removal, large wood placement, and revegetation. The project simultaneously enhances park access. An ADA-accessible walkway meanders by the estuary, offering views of wildlife. It continues under the bridge and culminates at a beachfront plaza, providing safe passage, enjoyment, and learning opportunities for visitors of all abilities.

View the full submission