Press Release
November 14, 2023
State Parks closes 35 mooring buoys
Media contact
| Name | Meryl Lassen |
|---|---|
| Department | Communications |
| media@parks.wa.gov | |
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) has identified 35 public recreational mooring buoys across western Washington that are at risk of breaking in the future.
Starting this week, Parks will close these buoys, which the agency plans to replace. Even though individual buoys will close, the impacted parks will still have other mooring buoys available for use.
Parks maintains 259 mooring buoys at 40 parks across Puget Sound, Hood Canal, the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas and San Juan Islands. Of these parks, 16 will be affected by partial buoy closures. They are:
- Blake Island
- Clark Island
- Cutts Island
- Fort Flagler
- Fort Townsend
- Fort Worden
- Illahee
- Jones Island
- Kopachuck
- Mystery Bay
- Potlach
- Sequim Bay
- Stuart Island, Provost Harbor
- Stuart Island, Reid Harbor
- Sucia Island, Fox Cove
- Twanoh
The agency plans to replace the existing anchors with modern helical screw-type anchors. Planners anticipate installing the new anchor systems in winter 2024 - 2025, pending permitting and funding. The 35 buoys will be closed until further notice.
When finished, the upgraded systems will allow boats to safely tie up, and they will limit impacts on eelgrass, fish, marine mammals and other fragile shallow marine environments.
About Washington State Parks
The Washington State Park Commission manages more than 100 state parks and properties totaling approximately 120,000 acres. The Commission provides a variety of recreation opportunities for citizens and provides stewardship protection for a diverse array of natural, cultural and historic resources. State Parks’ statewide programs include long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation.