Advocates of Edmonds Marsh want salmon back, but they disagree on how

EDMONDS — Over a century ago, the Edmonds Marsh enveloped about 100 acres and featured tidal openings that welcomed salmon.

Now, the brackish marsh is 22½ acres with no trace of the Chinook and coho salmon that once swam through its shallows.

That’s why marsh advocates are quick to consider any opportunity to preserve the tidal estuary. Currently, city officials and environmentalists are interested in about 21 acres of possible marsh expansion. The land, owned by Chevron but still referred to as the “Unocal property,” will likely become available for purchase next year. But city leaders disagree on who — the city or the state — should buy the property, muddying an already complex issue.

“It won’t be a marsh and it won’t be restored unless we are in the driver’s seat,” Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson said at a small press conference, convened without notifying City Council, last month on the marsh’s boardwalk.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/advocates-of-edmonds-marsh-want-salmon-back-but-they-disagree-on-how/