Arrowhead Point

Arrowhead Point is approximately 13 acres and is located on the northern tip of Camano Island, east of Brown Point.  It is owned by a homeowners association.  It consists of a small marsh with a narrow opening to Skagit Bay at its east end. The prevailing currents are slowly closing the opening that connects the marsh to the marine waters.

Spartina is also clogging this channel. This rapidly reducing opening limits the tidal circulation in the marsh. Mostly brackish and fresh water marsh lies behind a man-made dike. Saltmarsh with small areas of mudflat and open water lie outside the dike. Spartina covers over 50% of the marsh (as of June 2001).

Source of fresh water

The marsh receives some fresh water from runoff from the steep slope and also surface runoff from the developed areas on the beach berm. There is a buried culvert through the dike plus some seepage which allows additional fresh water to flow through to the open salt water.

Plants

Acer macrophyllum, Amelanchier alnifolia, Cytisus scoparius, Distichlis spicata, Elymus spp., Gaultheria shallon, Grindelia integrifolia, Holodiscus discolor, Juncus balticus, Mahonia nervosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Rosa nutkana, Salix spp., Spartina alterniflora, Triglochin maritimum, and Typha latifolia.

Man made obstructions to the estuary

Some of the marsh has been filled to provide access for several houses that extend over most of the beach berm. A dike runs through the middle of the marsh from north to south.

Description of the historic estuary

The entire wetland was probably saltmarsh prior to the dike construction.

Resources

Island County Estuarine Restoration Program

Prepared by Sheldon & Associates, Inc., June 2001

Puget Sound Creosote Awareness project

www.pscap.net/index_m.htm