Triangle Cove

Triangle Cove estuary covers about 225 acres and is located on the east central side of Camano Island, next to Port Susan and Barnum Point.  It consists of salt marsh, mudflats and open water. There is an open channel mouth connecting it to Port Susan. Spartina covers over 50% of the estuary (as of June 2001).

Source of fresh water

Freshwater is provided by Kristoferson Creek draining into the north end of Triangle Cove. There are also several culverts that direct fresh water to the cove.

Plants

Arbutus menziesii, Gaultheria shallon, non-native grasses, Juncus balticus, Juncus effuses, Lysichiton americanum, Phalaris arundinacea, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Rosa pisocarpa, Salix spp., Spartina alterniflora, Spartina anglica, Symphoricorpos albus, and Typha latifolia.

Man made obstructions to the estuary

Buffers include roads and a dense collection of houses on the sand spit at the mouth of the cove. There are culverts at the mouth of the creek and at several upstream road crossings and a large buildup of woody debris collected at the head of the cove.

Description of the historic estuary

Historically the size and shape of the cove have changed very little over time.

Resources

Island County Estuarine Restoration Program

Prepared by Sheldon & Associates, Inc., June 2001

Puget Sound Creosote Awareness project

www.pscap.net/index_m.htm