In case any of you have missed it, I'm re-posting this from the REEF critterwatcher facebook page. If you can't make the meeting, you can contact the port staff here: http://portofpt.com/about-us/staff/
I suggest emphasizing the economic importance in addition to the biological- e.g., we go up there a lot and always have dinner at one of the restaurants there...
From Nam Siu:
Some of you are familiar with and might have even surveyed the Point Hudson jetty and rock reef dive site in Port Townsend. It is a regular REEF survey site with 143 surveys having been done totaling 154 hrs of bottom time. 123 different species have been seen there, including Giant Pacific Octopus, and numerous species of Rockfish and juvenile rockfish.
It saddens me to say that the Port of Port Townsend is planning to rebuild the jetty in such a way that it will destroy most of the dive site. The current plan is to remove much of the habitat providing pilings and rocks that make it such a good dive site, and replace it will vertical steel walls. You can imagine that most of the organisms that inhabit this reef will be displaced and it will no longer be a vibrant dive site.
The local dive community in Port Townsend is working with the Washington SCUBA Alliance to propose creating an artificial reef adjacent to the jetty using the rocks from the jetty. The Washington SCUBA Alliance has been very successful in creating artificial reefs and dive parks throughout the Puget Sound providing recreational diving opportunities and fish habitat in the areas they work in. Examples of their previous projects include: Saltwater State Park, Titlow Beach, Redondo Reef, Camano Island State Park…etc.).
We are presenting our proposal for this artificial reef to the Port of Port Townsend Commissioners at their business meeting at 1 PM on May 10th at the Port Commissioners building (333 Benedict Street, Port Townsend WA 98368). It is open to the public and audience members are allotted 3 min comment periods. I encourage all divers who have dove this site and are in support of saving it to attend!
Point Hudson alert
Re: Point Hudson alert
Thank you for posting that.
Since the rocks that form the jetty are already there, the materials for an 'artificial' reef would appear to be at hand. I would suggest that they simply move the rocks aside (keeping them under water), rebuild the jetty, and then move them back as much as practical.
I am out of town right now but will be writing to the port commission in support of a reef, and the positive economic impact it has for the city.
glenn
Since the rocks that form the jetty are already there, the materials for an 'artificial' reef would appear to be at hand. I would suggest that they simply move the rocks aside (keeping them under water), rebuild the jetty, and then move them back as much as practical.
I am out of town right now but will be writing to the port commission in support of a reef, and the positive economic impact it has for the city.
glenn