History of Little Fishtrap Estuary
Little Fishtrap is situated on the southern side of Dana Passage, north of Olympia, Washington. This area is located at the mouth of Little Fishtrap Creek, named for the native fish trapping that took place at the creek's outlet to the small estuary. An unnamed stream (WRIA Stream No. 13.0016x) runs through the estuarine region of the site and flows into Dana Passage via a modified opening in the beach at the entrance to the estuary. The creation of a spit was done through longshore transport processes, which extended eastward from a bluff located at the western side of the creek mouth. A hydraulic connection between Puget Sound and the estuary has been preserved through a gap at the eastern end of the spit and the bluff on the eastern side of the creek mouth. The entrance to the Little Fishtrap has been altered for commercial purposes since the early 1940s. In 2019, the spit was removed with the hope of restoring the area to its natural state.
Coast & Geodetic Survey Map No. 6462 (Pre-spit addition)
1994 U.S. Geologic Survey Topographic Map (Most recent survey since spit addition)
Coast & Geodetic Survey Map No. 6462 (Pre-spit addition)
Spit Removal
The manmade spit changed the flow of the creek and tides in the estuary and displaced the natural sand spit. In collaboration with with the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) and the Army Corp of Engineers, 700 tons of concrete and other miscellaneous debris were removed from the spit. Additionally, 240 linear feet of eco-block bulkhead was removed. The project enabled the natural shoreline processes to reshape both side s of the estuary along the inflowing creek. The hope is that this project will restore the native habitat for forage fish spawning, native shoreline plants and historic flow of Little Fishtrap.
Erosion
There are several steep embankments on the property that we keep an eye on for erosion. There are a few options when dealing with erosion. In February 2022 we attempted to use willow cuttings to help stabilize one bank. Unfortunately it was extremely hot during the summer and none of the willow stakes rooted, however this fall while planting some rooted plants along the bank, some of the thicker willow stakes showed signs of rooting after nearly two years!