Seahurst Park

Seahurst Park, in Burien, Washington (a suburb of Seattle), is a convert|178|acre|km2|sing=on park with forests and a beach on Puget Sound. Originally a King County park, it was given to the newly-incorporated city of Burien in 1996. The beach is about convert|2000|ft|m long, and the upper part of the beach has been made into a sea wall.

Geology

The western border of the park is a beach on Puget Sound. At the eastern edge of the park the elevation is as high as convert|425|ft|m. The beach is presently undergoing a restoration to a more natural state, the biggest part of which is removing a 35 year old seawall and replacing it with a sloping beach. There are two primary streams in the park one on the south end and one on the north. Between the streams a steep slope runs along the shore just above the beach. The north creek basin contains a large wetland area that extends back from the beach nearly to the eastern border of the park in some places. Many of the slopes in Seahurst Park are considered unstable and there is historical evidence of numerous landslides in some areas. The park also has many springs. For detailed Geologic information see Appendix B-Part 1 of the [http://www.ci.burien.wa.us/parksrec/other/parks/park_seahurst.htm Seahurst Park Master Plan] from the City of Burien.

Wildlife

Seahurst Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Eagles, Herons, woodpeckers, owls, pheasants, raccoons, and the usual host of seabirds and marine creatures are all regularly seen or heard in the park. There is a salmon hatchery in the Park, but no natural salmon run, the returning salmon are used as the source for the next batch of salmon to be released. The hatchery and related Marine Technology Lab is operated by several local school districts as an educational facility. Seahurst Park is designated a Marine Reserve Area by the City of Burien in order to protect marine creatures along the shore. In a 1997 assessment of beaches in the King County region, [http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/beaches/seahurst.htm Seahurst Park] had the 2nd lowest number of clams per square foot, and the lowest average size among the surveyed beaches. In 2004 a major beach habitat rehabilitation project began at Seahurst Park so those numbers may have improved by now. No current study is available for comparison.

History

Created in 1975, Seahurst Park was originally under the management of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks until 1996, when it was ceded to the new city of Burien.

The park is also referred to as Ed Munro Park or Ed Munro Seahurst Park, in honor of the Washington state legislator who played a key role in its creation.
* [http://www.ci.burien.wa.us/parksrec/other/history_website/docs/Seahurst%20Park%20-%20Summary.htm Seahurst Park History Webpage]

Modern

The seawall in the park (which was built in 1972) is deteriorating and has changed the environment on the beach. Large logs and native vegetation had been added to the upper beach to both make it look natural and limit access to the beach. A Beach Habitat Restoration project started in 2004 that has already removed 1/3 of the seawall and restored a more natural beach on the southern end of the park. The northern portion should start soon. The city has also acquired a 10 acre parcel on the southern edge of the park and added it to the system. In addition to the beach restoration some work has been done and more is planned on removing invasive plant species, trails are being improved and facilities are being upgraded.

References

* Kristin Jackson. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2001973966_nwwburien08.html "Burien: Two strolls in one — shoreline and shopping"] . "The Seattle Times", 8 July 2004.

External links

* [http://www.ci.burien.wa.us/parksrec/other/parks/park_seahurst.htm Official Seahurst Park Webpage from the City of Burien]
* [http://www.ci.burien.wa.us/parksrec/other/history_website/docs/Seahurst%20Park%20-%20Summary.htm Seahurst Park History (City of Burien)]
* [http://www.seahurstpark.org/ SeahurstPark.org]
* [http://www.hsd401.org/osc/Vocational/Marine/Marine.html Marine Technology Lab] at Seahurst Park.
* [http://seahurst.apl.washington.edu/about.html UW-Applied Physics Lab]
* [http://seahurst.apl.washington.edu/index.php APL underwater and beach cameras]
* [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/202789_ncenter08.html Seattle Times Article about the seawall restoration]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2001973966_nwwburien08.html The Seattle Times]
* [http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/beaches/seahurst.htm 1997 King County Beach Assessment]
* [http://www.forrestcroce.com/Photos/SeahurstSunset.html Seahurst Sunset by LandscapePhoto.us]
* [http://www.meghansgallery.com/seahurst/seahurst.html Seahurst Park Photos]