This will be the 4th of PMEP’s symposiums exploring West Coast estuary restoration guidance and tools for restoration practitioners. This is the first day of a 2-day symposium. This virtual symposium brought together experts in the field of estuary restoration along the U.S. West Coast to explore effective estuary restoration topics. The 2026 symposia included: Guidance on integrating multiple species benefits into your projects, new research on estuary restoration (beavers and birds, oh my!), process-based design guidance for estuary restoration, restoring unique habitats (swamps, anyone?), and case studies which illustrate practical examples from Washington, Oregon, and California.
The symposiums are designed to support estuary restoration practitioners and will include opportunities to share techniques, ask questions, and build a community of practice.
Scaling estuarine restoration and adaptation: the role of social and institutional factors in San Francisco Bay
Jeremy Lowe, San Francisco Institute
Fish and bird habitat restoration on Leque Island and Camano Island
C.K.Eidem, Ducks Unlimited
Beaver in tidal wetlands: the necessity of natural history
Greg Hood, Skagit River System Cooperative
Living shorelines for coastal resilience: a combined oyster – eelgrass restoration approach
Kaysha Kenney, Orange County Coastkeeper
Using dredged sediments for habitat restoration – San Francisco Bay’s Experience
Dilip Trivedi, Moffatt & Nichol
Kermit Creek: Restoring salmonid habitat on “working lands” on the Southern Oregon Coast
Matt Swanson, Swanson Ecological Services, LLC and Drew Harper, Curry County Soil & Water Conservation District
Pajaro Estuary restoration: rebuilding a resilient landscape
Bryan Largay, Land Trust of Santa Cruz