Submitted by the Port of Olympia
After weeks of hard work, Mission Creek in Priest Point Park now flows freely into Budd Inlet. In fact, fish have already been spotted in the restored estuary!
The project’s goal was to restore the passage of salmon and cutthroat trout along the 1.4 mile stream that flows from northeast Olympia into Budd Inlet at the southern-most end of Priest Point Park. For decades, the mouth of the creek had been blocked by an old road and debris.
The project partners gathered at the park on Tuesday to celebrate the successful conclusion of the restoration. Partnering on the project were the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG), Squaxin Island Tribe, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, City of Olympia and Port of Olympia.
Also joining in the celebration were representatives from the Port of Olympia’s Citizens Advisory Committee and the East Bay Drive Neighborhood Association.
In 2011, the Port put $120,000 toward the project and together with SPSSEG, applied for and received a grant from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board for the remaining $80,000. The project contractor was Sealevel Bulkhead Builders, Inc. of Kingston, Wash.
