Washington State Department of Ecology.

Ecology cameras were rolling as a backhoe pulls out the last of a Nisqually Delta dike and let Puget Sound waters fill in for the first time in more than 100 years. Ecology staff were invited to the breaching of the first of seven side channels on Sept. 23, 2009.

This is the largest estuary restoration project in the Northwest. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and two key partners, Ducks Unlimited and the Nisqually Indian Tribe, have been working towards reconnecting 762 acres of the delta with the tides of the Puget Sound.

Estuaries are areas where freshwater meets saltwater. They provide rich, productive habitat for all kinds of birds, fish and wildlife. Estuaries help filter pollutants and protect shorelines from erosion and flooding.

For more information on the Nisqually estuary restoration please visit: http://nisquallydeltarestoration.org/ (less info)