Protect Your Property
and the Puget Sound

Working together to protect the Puget Sound Coastline with Constructive Tools for Shoreline Homeowners.

Attractive, Affordable, Fish & Wildlife Friendly Solutions

The Puget Sound shoreline is in constant flux, with wind, waves, and other forces shaping and reshaping our bluffs and beaches and moving sediment along the shoreline. It’s a natural process that ensures a healthy ecosystem for salmon, shorebirds, and other species. But if you’re a waterfront homeowner, you might be concerned about how erosion could damage your property.

Fortunately, most of the Puget Sound coastline has low or moderate levels of erosion, which can be managed without losing the beach to a bulkhead or seawall. Coastal engineers have developed solutions that are attractive, affordable, and friendly to fish and wildlife.

Shore Friendly King County

Shore Friendly King County is a collaborative of restoration and conservation agencies and organizations working together to bring Shore Friendly tools and assistance to homeowners in King County.

Protecting your property and Puget Sound is easier than you might think.

Education and Guidance

Shore Friendly King County provides education and guidance on managing or removing armor on your marine shoreline property. Understanding the erosion risk on your property, the impacts of armoring on the surrounding ecosystem, and the options available can empower you to make informed decisions that meet your needs.

Get Technical Assistance

Understanding the real risks and opportunities for a property’s erosion, water management, vegetation, and shoreline requires input from engineers, geologists, and biologists – resources not often available to the average homeowner. New policies, local requirements, state restrictions, and environmental and cultural review processes are often confusing and intimidating.

Request A Free Consultation

Requesting a free consultation through Shore Friendly King County can be a first step in navigating this complex component of shoreline homeownership. We can provide education, access to resources and licensed professionals, and recommendations on next steps to help you understand the risks and responsibilities and consider alternatives.

Ways to Take Action

1. Request Consultation

Shore Friendly King County schedules a visit to your property, assesses, and gives recommendations.

2. Workshop Registration

We provide educational workshops and scheduled beach walks for those wanting to learn more.

3. Reach Out To Us

Not ready for a site visit? Have questions? Are you a new shoreline owner or becoming an owner soon?

Before & After

From Regional Shore Friendly Project

The following videos show an example of a before and after of a bulkhead removal.

Before
An aerial overview of property managed by Sunlight Shores community members, along the shoreline of Useless Bay on Whidbey Island.

After
With help from the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation and other sources, the shoreline and nearshore area is being restored as close as possible to a natural, healthier habitat for young salmon and other sea life.

How is Nearshore Important for Puget Sound Salmon?

Nearshore provides safe migration and helps adult salmon fatten up just before they enter fresh water to spawn.
  • Nearshore environments can provide safe places for juvenile salmon to hide
  • Brackish water helps support the salmon’s physical transformation
  • Overhanging vegetation provide nutritious insects for young salmon to eat
  • Forage fish, like herring and sand lance spawn on our beaches and serve as key food for both juvenile and adult salmon
  • Forage fish are small but mighty players in the Puget Sound ecosystem
  • Estuaries produce more food for salmon than typical beaches and are hot spots of biodiversity

The entire Puget Sound ecosystem is connected to and dependent on the health of our nearshore environment. Human development on and around our shorelines has enabled our special way of life here in the Sound, but it has also had strong impacts on the coastal systems and ecology of the area.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU

Request a Consultation

Learn More

Project Examples

Additional Resources

About Us