FAQs

Creosote-treated wood pilings are a significant source of contamination to nearshore environments of the Salish Sea. As creosote leaches into the marine environment, it impacts forage fish spawning habitat, valuable eelgrass beds, and other nearshore habitats and species. Creosote vapors also pose a risk to human health.

Bulkheads and seawalls displace vegetation and marine habitat. This results in a coarsening of all nearby beaches, making them less hospitable to species that depend on fine sediment for feeding and spawning. The entire food web is disrupted, reducing ecological diversity.

A drift cell is a segment of coastline with one or more sources of sediment that supply the nearby beaches. Sand and/or gravel make up the sediment and can come from rivers, bluffs, or other beaches. Drift cells can overlap, but the eroding material usually stays within a discrete zone. Puget Sound has more than 800 drift cells; you can get information about yours by consulting the Washington State Coastal Atlas.  Learn more about how drift cells work and interact in different parts of Puget Sound and their importance to shoreline ecosystems on the shorefirendly.org website. 

Shore Friendly offers guidance to make protecting your property and Puget Sound easy. They also support local programs around Puget Sound that offer free workshops and site evaluations for waterfront homeowners. Learn more