Wetland restoration has commenced on over 600 acres of new additions to the Lake Terrell Wildlife Area in Whatcom County, Washington. The project partners include: Ducks Unlimited, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pacific Coast Joint Venture, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, and the Lummi Nation. Working together, the partners have acquired several properties adjacent to the Lake Terrell Wildlife Area in the past few years. Restoration has been completed on approximately one-third of the project. The remaining acres will be restored over the next two years.

Waterfowl began utilizing the newly restored wetlands even before the bulldozers had left the site last fall. In addition to providing important migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl, the project will support the habitat needs of other migratory birds, juvenile salmon and many other wetland-dependent fish and wildlife species. The properties will be managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and will be open to hunting and other recreational uses.

Habitat reclamation efforts have focused on restoring a combination of intertidal and freshwater wetlands along the Nooksack River. Partners expect that nearly 500,000 dabbling ducks wintering on Skagit and Padilla bays will use the restored wetlands. Restored wetlands will produce an abundant, diverse mix of waterfowl foods. In addition, WDFW will plant approximately 100 acres in cereal grain crops. The combination of cereal grains adjacent to well-managed intertidal and freshwater marshes will make this a great spot for Washington waterfowlers.

Ducks Unlimited biologists and engineers played a key role in designing and delivering the restoration of this site. DU was also successful in leveraging grass roots dollars to secure state and Federal conservation grants that provided the funding necessary for acquisition and restoration of this project. In addition to this project, DU is currently planning restoration efforts on four additional state wildlife areas in nearby Skagit, Snohomish and King Counties.