State Parks will repair buoys in San Juan Islands, Hood Canal

Boaters should check project schedule before planning overnight trips

OLYMPIA – April 29, 2022 – Washington State Parks will begin contracted mooring buoy repair work in the San Juan Islands beginning Monday, May 2 and on the eastern Olympic Peninsula beginning Wednesday, June 1. The agency will repair 82 buoys that are currently unsatisfactory and unusable. The months-long maintenance project will service salvageable state-owned, public mooring buoys to ensure they are in top condition for boaters.

Repair work will begin at the following locations on the following dates:

May 2-5:

San Juan Islands marine state parks, including:

• Clark Island
• Sucia Island
  • Ewing Cove
  • Fossil Bay
  • Fox Cove
  • Shallow Bay
  • Snoring Bay

May 9-13:

San Juan Islands state parks, including:

• James Island
• Jones Island
• Obstruction Pass

June 1-3:

Olympic Peninsula state parks, including:

• Sequim Bay
• Kitsap Memorial
• Potlach
• Twanoh

Buoy repair work will continue in mid to late June. Inspection of all State Park buoys on a biennial basis is planned under a new five-year on-call contract with Jen Jay, Inc., a commercial diving and environmental consulting company servicing the Puget Sound area.

The current repair work schedule is weather dependent and subject to change. Boaters should be cautious of repair divers in the area and allow extra space around the buoys under repair. For additional mooring buoy repair work schedule updates and future work to improve mooring opportunities, visit our website.

Using mooring buoys is important to help protect sensitive eelgrass habitats from anchor impact. Each buoy is designed for a single vessel up to 45 feet in length. Boaters cannot raft or tie multiple boats together when using mooring buoys.

To report a damaged buoy, please contact our information center via email at infocent@parks.wa.gov or by phone at (360)-902-8844.

State parks are a top destination for cruising, sail and power boaters. Buoys are $15 per night and available on a first-come first-served basis. Learn more about State Parks mooring buoys.

News media contacts:
Reid Parker, C&M Supervisor- Marine Crew, reid.parker@parks.wa.gov
Meryl Lassen, Communications Consultant, media@parks.wa.gov