2021-2023 Be’er Sheva Park’s Shoreline Fish Pre-Project Monitoring Plan

Scope of Work
In 2023, aquatic vegetation logs and earth mounds (i.e., plant nurseries) will be installed in areas of Lake Washington just north of Mapes Creek along the shoreline of Be'er Sheva Park (Fig. 1). Be’er Sheva park is located in the Rainier Beach neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. The objective of the pre-project monitoring is to assess and determine pre-restoration in-water conditions north of Mapes Creek (45,000 ft2/1.03 ac); examine Be’er Sheva Park’s shoreline; and provide information on how the area is currently used by fish. The aim of the study is to evaluate the current habitat conditions as they relate to local fish abundance that will be compared to the post-restoration data.
 

Floating earth mounds have been used all around the world including the Pacific Northwest, however, there is not much empirical evidence or effectiveness data for earth mounds in natural lakes. Several studies have shown that floating earth mounds can be used to promote the establishment of aquatic plantings; help sustain aquatic life in the waterbody; contribute to water quality; and provide habitat to insects, fishes (e.g., Chinook salmon), birds and a variety of other aquatic and terrestrial life forms (e.g., Hwang and Lepage, 2011; White and Cousins, 2013; Wang and Sample, 2014; Prashant and Billore, 2020). This study will provide insight on the functionality and efficacy of the earth mounds. A goal of this project is to employ the floating islands in the southern end of Lake Washington as a method of increasing available habitat for aquatic organisms and other wildlife.