Lummi Shore Drive

Probably the largest and longest erosion control project on Puget Sound in recent years was the construction of this revetment in the late 1990s. The road was too close to the edge of the eroding bluff and sections occasionally caved off - reducing the road to a single lane. Some consideration may have been given to moving the road, but that option didn't get much traction in the face of local interests and funding sources that favor defense rather than avoidance. The road is nice and offers great views across the bay to Bellingham, the Cascades, and Portage and Lummi Islands, but the upper beach is gone forever - although some attempt has been made to maintain it by periodically adding sand and gravel. Unfortunately, that's probably not a terribly sustainable solution over the longer term on a site like this.