2026 AA Explorer | Floodplains and Estuaries

TOPIC 10

Floodplains and Estuaries

RESILIENT HABITATS

About the Action Agenda Explorer

Overview Implementation Progress

Overview

Cover photo for Floodplains and Estuaries

VITAL SIGNS

Protect and restore floodplains and estuaries by advancing integrated management approaches to reduce flood risk and improve ecological health.

Floodplains and estuaries are where rivers meet the land and sea. They connect freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems, creating a diverse landscape that provides critical habitat for the health, growth, and survival of Pacific salmon and steelhead.

Floodplains provide benefits for people by absorbing water and reducing damage from floods and storm surges. They also buffer against sea level rise, improve water and air quality, provide vital habitat for wildlife, support productive farmlands, and offer spaces for recreation.

Estuaries— where freshwater mixes with salt water — are critical feeding and resting areas for young salmon, migratory birds, and many other species. Tidal wetland habitat also contributes to the Puget Sound ecosystem by producing plants that fuel a rich food web.

Floodplains and estuaries have been integral to the lives and cultural practices of Tribes since time immemorial. These habitats continue to be places of cultural, economic, and ecological importance. Improving ecological health, economic stability, long-term safety, and social cohesion for communities living in floodplains can foster stewardship, reduce ecological pressures, and support community-driven conservation.

Unfortunately, 75 percent of river delta tidal wetlands have been lost or degraded in Puget Sound. Over the past century, over 60 percent of floodplain function along the region’s 17 major rivers have been lost or reduced, mostly due to population growth and land conversion. To address this loss, communities across Puget Sound are turning to new ways of managing floodplains through integrated floodplain management, which brings together land use planning, hazard planning, and natural resource and ecosystem management. Instead of competing for limited funds, public and private sector partners work together to design and implement projects that move them closer towards achieving the unique ecological goals and priorities identified by local communities.

River-basin planning is another key strategy and includes a collaborative approach that brings together residents, community-based organizations, local governments, and Tribes to define goals, solutions, and management plans for shared watershed resources. This results in coordinated actions and projects that include an integrated watershed planning strategy that benefits local agricultural operations, fish habitat, and flood risk reduction.

Floodplains are one of five key priorities identified in of gw?dzadad (“Teaching of Our Ancestors” in Lushootseed), the Tribal Habitat Strategy produced by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and its member Tribes. Additional Strategies from the Action Agenda that protect the vital ecosystem processes of Floodplains and Estuaries can be found under Smart Growth, Riparian Areas, Agricultural Lands Runoff, and Invasive Species.

Strategies and Actions

Strategy Action

Strategy Action

What We're Tracking

The Partnership uses a system of indicators and targets to monitor our progress implementing regional priorities and movement towards Puget Sound recovery goals. Commitments describe activities that partners and the Partnership pledge to pursue over the next four years to implement the Action Agenda and/or the Salmon Recovery Plan. Progress Indicators track human activities that impact ecosystem health. Vital Sign Indicators track the status and trends of ecosystem conditions, including human health and quality of life.

2026-2030 Commitments

Commitments describe activities that partners and the Partnership pledge to pursue over the next four years to implement the Action Agenda and/or the Salmon Recovery Plan.

Organization	Description	Status
Puget Sound Partnership	Program Measure: Acres of habitat protection and restoration projects funded by PSAR Target: Cumulatively fund 6,000 acres over 2027-29 and 2029-31 biennia Program: Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Program Measure: Funded acres of process-based habitat restoration of PSNERP-identified projects implemented in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Target: By 2030, secure the full funding needed to start the process-based restoration of 2,414 acres of process-based habitat restoration Program: Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project
Bonneville Environmental Foundation	Commitment: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will build capacity for acquisitions, buyouts, and easements through 2027.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation	Commitment: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will facilitate a bi-weekly Permitting Coordination Group and create centralized resources and tools to support floodplain and other habitat restoration permitting efficiencies through 2027.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation	Commitment: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will track, share, and host opportunities to discuss policies that impact climate change adaptation and resilience through 2027.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation	Commitment: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will host policy conversations on the flood risk-salmon recovery-development dilemma in floodplains through 2027.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation	Commitment: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will develop resources for partners to take advantage of market mechanisms through 2027.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation	Commitment: Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will support the development of a pay-for-success approach and look for other ways to leverage private capital through 2027.
Oregon State University	Commitment: Oregon State University (OSU) will monitor and report on Puget Sound residents' experience with environmental impacts from climate change, including flooding via the Puget Sound Human Wellbeing Vital Sign Survey through 2027.
Oregon State University	Commitment: Oregon State University (OSU) will conduct research to understand human dimensions of floodplain restoration projects through 2027.
Oregon State University	Commitment: Oregon State University (OSU) will conduct research to understand elements of landowner willingness to allow access to their properties, to manage or restore their properties to improve salmon habitat, or to support policies and programs intended to improve salmon habitat on private land through 2027.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with landowners/managers and other partners on planning and implementing instream and river restoration projects, implementing riparian projects to stabilize stream and riverbanks, contributing to floodplain restoration projects and Floodplains by Design initiatives, and implementing stormwater runoff mitigation efforts through 2030 and beyond.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will facilitate relationship building between restoration practitioners and local planners to foster awareness and coordination on the planning, funding, and implementation of restoration and infrastructure projects through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will support project sponsors in identifying and applying for funding to support outreach efforts through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will work with partners to advance federal Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) and Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) legislation by 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will work with partners to identify and advance innovative state-level legislative solutions to permitting barriers through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Conservation Districts (CDs) will build capacity and partnership in systems through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) will address land conversion pressures on critical areas and floodways by identifying and amplifying examples of incentives or protection measures around Puget Sound that have successfully disrupted or slowed land conversion through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Lead Entities will work with project sponsors to develop and implement large-scale projects that incorporate resilience and multi-benefit outcomes (flood reduction, reduce sea level rise impacts to structures, etc.) through 2030.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Lead Entities will work with watershed partners to identify and develop floodplain reconnection, conservation, and restoration projects in priority reaches through 2030.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Local Integrating Organization (LIO) Coordinators will consult with their respective Lead Entity to integrate local salmon recovery priorities into the LIO Action Plans, as applicable, through 2028.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Local Integrating Organization (LIO) Coordinators will work with Lead Entities when developing their Floodplains and Estuaries LIO Action Plans to bring together partners to identify best practices and/or strategies for voluntary stewardship on private lands that support floodplain reconnection through 2028.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Salmon Recovery Council (SRC) will convene forums to bring local government staff and salmon recovery experts together to support and develop novel ideas around restoration project permitting by the end of fiscal year 2027.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers	Commitment: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will restore lost habitat at up to 19 distinct sites along the degraded Green/Duwamish River through 2026.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	Commitment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will fund the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead to improve habitat protection regulations, remove barriers to habitat protection/restoration, manage land development/prevent further degradation, and support Vital Sign Implementation Strategies through 2026.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	Commitment: Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force (PSFLTF) will work to expand the existing joint federal-state multiagency permitting process and program (MART) for expediting permits for salmon recovery projects that qualify under the State?s Habitat Recovery Pilot Program (HRPP) (2021 Act) regarding streamlined permitting for habitat recovery projects (HB 1382) by 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Commitment: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will provide technical assistance and funding for coastal riparian, wetland, and upland restoration/protection projects as well as aquatic organism barrier removal projects by 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Commitment: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will fund 2 to 3 projects per year within Puget Sound or Hood Canal aimed to restore or preserve aquatic habitats for Federal trust and at-risk species, including salmonids by 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Commitment: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will increase grants awarded and managed through the National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program through 2026.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will develop informational materials (e.g., Convene, one-pagers, action alerts, etc.) and host events (e.g., Orca Action Month) to educate the public on the co-benefits that healthy, intact, salmon habitat provide to communities and human health through 2030.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will engage with elected officials to educate and create environmental champions that prioritize the restoration and protection of salmon habitats to support recovery and improve community health through 2030.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will work with Kitsap County on their Kitsap Natural Resource Asset Management Program and its partners outside the county government to identify overlapping priorities for floodplain restoration including the acquisition of important riparian and upland forest areas of watersheds through 2026.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will begin partnering with other jurisdictions and state agencies on programs similar to Kitsap Natural Resource Asset Management Program to identify priority watersheds for floodplain restoration through land transfers and easements through 2030.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will continue to work with partners on a permanent statewide streamline permitting process through 2027.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will strive to administer the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) that aids organizations in acquiring land and shoreline habitat through 2027.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to share the findings of Industrial Economics? work that is connected to land conversion by June 2026 (pending contractor capacity to perform this work under the Puget Sound Partnership EPA Base Program IS Science Award).
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to amplify and share out the results of funded subawards addressing land use conversion, tools to reduce land use conversion, and capacity for advancing habitat protection and restoration efforts through June 2028.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) will strive to amplify and share out the results of funded subawards advancing habitat protection and restoration efforts through June 2028.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to work with partners to update the Floodplains and Estuaries Implementation Strategy and explore opportunities to better integrate land use and flooding in the update through June 2026.
Washington State Conservation Commission	Commitment: Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) will support Conservation Districts locally within the Puget Sound with Conservation Technical Assistance grants that can support outreach strategies and messaging that highlight the co-benefits of habitat protection to communities through 2027.
Washington State Conservation Commission	Commitment: Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) will incorporate additional climate resilience components and seek to better resource existing voluntary incentive programs that provide climate resilience and public benefits to floodplains in Puget Sound (e.g., Conservation Technical Assistance, Riparian Grant Program, Riparian Plant Propagation Program, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, Sustainable Farms and Fields Program, Natural Resource Investments Program, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Shellfish Program, and the Voluntary Stewardship Program) through 2027.
Washington State Department of Ecology	Commitment: Washington Department of Ecology (ECY) will advance the process of restoring present-day Capitol Lake to a tidal estuary, which would include removing Olympia?s Fifth Avenue dam to reconnect the Deschutes River with south Puget Sound. Provided that funding is available, ECY will complete final designs for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project in 2027 and position the project for construction-readiness. ECY will actively pursue construction funding through diverse sources, in cooperation with project partners.
Washington State Department of Ecology	Commitment: Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY) will explore opportunities to update flood risk maps, provide technical support to communities, and help move salmon recovery projects efficiently through floodplain permitting processes through 2030.
Washington State Department of Ecology	Commitment: Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY) will continue to support this work through large capital programs such as Floodplains by Design through 2027.

Indicators

Indicators are one or more metrics that we track consistently over time with repeatable methods. Indicators help us understand key dynamics of interest to tell the story of short-, medium-, and long-term changes in human activities and ecosystem conditions in Puget Sound. Each indicator is evaluated for trend (e.g., 'getting better', 'getting worse', etc.). Some indicators also have targets and are evaluated for target status (whether we have met those targets).

All floodplain habitat acquisition

All floodplains habitat restoration

Estuarine/nearshore habitat acquisition

Estuarine/nearshore habitat restoration

Estuary area in functional condition

Floodplain function in large and small river systems

Freshwater Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity

Number of natural-origin Chinook salmon on spawning grounds

Number of natural-origin coho salmon on spawning grounds

Number of natural-origin Puget Sound steelhead on spawning grounds

Number of natural-origin summer chum salmon on spawning grounds

All floodplain habitat acquisition (View in Data Center)

This indicator measures the acres of floodplain habitat (freshwater floodplains, estuarine/nearshore, and riparian areas) acquired for conservation or future restoration activities. Floodplains create and support a diverse web of natural resources, recreational opportunities, and offer ecosystem benefits like floodwater storage. This indicator can help us evaluate our success accelerating the pace of habitat protection.

Trend

All floodplain habitat acquisition

By:

All floodplains habitat restoration (View in Data Center)

This indicator measures acres of floodplain habitat (freshwater floodplains, estuarine/nearshore, and riparian areas) improved through restoration activities. Floodplains create and support a diverse web of natural resources, recreational opportunities, and ecosystem benefits like floodwater storage. This indicator can help us evaluate our success accelerating the pace of habitat restoration.

Trend

Target Status

All floodplains habitat restoration

By: Floodplain Restoration

Estuarine/nearshore habitat acquisition (View in Data Center)

This indicator measures acres of estuarine/nearshore floodplain habitat acquired for conservation or future restoration activities. Estuaries represent transition zones between the land and sea, supporting diverse flora, fauna, recreation opportunities, and a vibrant food web. This indicator can help us evaluate our success toward accelerating the pace of habitat protection.

Trend

Estuarine/nearshore habitat acquisition

By: Estuary/Nearshore Acquisition

Estuarine/nearshore habitat restoration (View in Data Center)

This indicator measures acres of estuarine/nearshore floodplain habitat improved through restoration activities. Estuaries represent transition zones between the land and sea, supporting diverse flora, fauna, recreation opportunities, and a vibrant food web. This indicator can help us evaluate our success toward accelerating the pace of habitat restoration.

Trend

Target Status

Estuarine/nearshore habitat restoration

By: Estuarine/Nearshore Restoration

Estuary area in functional condition (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the amount (acres and percent) of estuarine surface area in functional condition in Puget Sound’s 16 large river deltas. Estuary function is measured by the extent of connected tidal wetlands. Functional estuaries provide many ecosystem services and are critical to the recovery of the region’s salmon populations.

Trend

Floodplain function in large and small river systems (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the amount (acres and percent) of floodplain area in functional condition in Puget Sound’s 17 major rivers. Floodplain function is assessed at a regional scale using river connectivity and land use and cover. Areas that have natural land cover and unrestricted river flow are expected to be the most functional and provide the most ecosystem services. Floodplain function is impaired in areas with non-natural land cover or restricted river flow due to constraints or barriers (for example, roads, railroads, and levees).

Trend

Floodplain function in large and small river systems

By: Condition Assessment

Freshwater Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (View in Vital Signs)

The Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) describes the biological condition of stream sites and their surrounding habitat based on the diversity and relative abundance of the benthic (bottom dwelling) macroinvertebrates found at the site. Ten measures of biological condition are scored and summarized as the B-IBI, which ranges from a score of 0, indicating very poor stream condition, to 100, indicating excellent condition.

Trend

Map for Freshwater Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity

Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from 718 sites across Puget Sound in the last five years (2018-2022). The map shows the biological condition category for each site based on its mean B-IBI score.

Explore site level data in the web map

Number of natural-origin Chinook salmon on spawning grounds (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator evaluates the abundance and trends of the 22 Chinook salmon populations by measuring the number of natural-origin adult fish on the spawning grounds of five Puget Sound regions. Abundance estimates here do not include hatchery-origin fish (with few exceptions) or Chinook taken in harvest or by predators like orcas. The indicator is intended to reflect the goal of achieving wild population recovery of Puget Sound Chinook, which are federally listed as threatened.

Trend

Target Status

Number of natural-origin coho salmon on spawning grounds (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator evaluates the abundance and trend of five coho salmon management units as measured by the number of natural-origin adult fish on the spawning grounds of Puget Sound. Abundance estimates here do not include hatchery-origin fish or coho salmon taken in harvest or by predators like orcas. The indicator is intended to reflect the abundance of wild coho salmon in Puget Sound, which are not federally listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Trend

Number of natural-origin Puget Sound steelhead on spawning grounds (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator evaluates the abundance and trend of the 32 steelhead populations by measuring the number of natural-origin adult fish on the spawning grounds of three Puget Sound regions. Abundance estimates here do not include hatchery-origin fish or steelhead taken in harvest or by predators like orcas. The indicator is intended to reflect the goal of achieving wild population recovery of Puget Sound steelhead, which are federally listed as threatened.

Trend

Number of natural-origin summer chum salmon on spawning grounds (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator evaluates the abundance and trend of the 2 Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon populations by measuring the number of natural-origin adult fish on the spawning grounds. Abundance estimates here do not include hatchery-origin fish or fish taken in harvest or by predators like orcas. The indicator is intended to reflect the goal of achieving wild population recovery of Hood Canal summer chum, which are federally listed as threatened.

Trend