The third and final year of construction for the Ni-les'tun Tidal Marsh Restoration Project has begun. On May 10th, Refuge staff, engineers with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Coos County Road Department met on site with Pacific Power and Frontier Communications to discuss the undergrounding of the North Bank Lane power lines and phone/cable along the Fahys Creek and Redd Creek grade raise areas. This is a new project component that is being implemented along bird flight corridors to prevent injury and mortality due to wire strikes. During the meeting partners reviewed the 2011 construction activities and schedule for completing the small culvert upgrades, and repaving of North Bank Lane. Engineers with FHWA and their contractor BANC3 reviewed a new entrance road design for the refuge office since the existing entrance will be impacted by road widening of North Bank Lane. Surveyors for Tidewater Contractors arrived on May 4th; their construction crews are scheduled to arrive after the survey is completed. Roadwork will continue throughout the spring and summer.

Ducks Unlimited and their contractor Knife River Corporation will return to the refuge in July for the final phase of construction associated with the marsh restoration. This final phase will include the placement of the large woody debris in tidal channels and creeks, relocating the mouth of Fahys Creek back to its historic location, erection of small dikes on the east and west end of the project site to protect private lands, and removal of the artificial perimeter dike and tidegates. By late-August the tidal function of the marsh will be restored!