Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and our project partners are happy to announce that the Lowman Beach Park Shoreline Restoration project has been awarded the Best Restored Shore award by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA).
Lowman Beach Park, located at 7017 Beach Dr. SW, Seattle, WA 98136 in West Seattle, reopened in April 2022 after extensive restoration work. The project prioritized coastal vegetation and natural shoreline features, resulting in the successful restoration of the shoreline and the habitat connections of the upland and the shoreline while reestablishing public access.
“Supporting a thriving environment is one of Seattle Parks and Recreation core values,” said AP Diaz, SPR Superintendent. “We are honored to receive this national award for our work to improve this shoreline park for the habitat and people of Seattle.”
This shoreline restoration project work began after the south half of the existing seawall failed in the mid-1990s. This recent project involved removing the remainder of the seawall and creating an approximately 7000 sq. ft unobstructed shoreline benefiting the natural environment, the park, and the visitors who now can access the beach unobstructed. The remnant of Pelly Creek that previously flowed under the seawall was daylighted, providing freshwater to the nearshore habitat. The result is a public park with an open lawn area that gradually transitions to a vegetated upland habitat and a natural coastal habitat with restored ecological functions and access, allowing everyone to connect with and appreciate the beauty of Puget Sound.
SPR hired Environmental Science Associates (ESA) for engineering and design and awarded the construction contract to Mike McClung Construction. SPR is grateful to WRIA 9 for their support and our funding partners, which included grants from the State of Washington through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) and the King County Flood Control District through the Cooperative Watershed Management (CWM) program.
For more information, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/allparks/lowman-beach-park.