Meadowdale Beach Park and Estuary

Edmonds, Washington

The first pocket estuary restoration along BNSF Railway’s 46 miles of mainline track bordering Puget Sound, Meadowdale Beach Park plays a critical role in the survival of threatened species such as Chinook salmon and Southern Resident orcas.

A 130-foot span railroad bridge replaces the undersized culvert below the railway, removing a fish barrier and restoring sediment flow, a habitat-forming process essential to Puget Sound’s ecosystem. Anchor QEA landscape architects led the restoration including fill removal, large wood placement, and revegetation.

A walkway meanders under the bridge, culminating at a beachfront plaza, providing safe ADA access and recreation opportunities.

Sp’akw’us Feather Park 

Squamish, British Columbia

Once a highly contaminated industrial pulp mill site, Sp’awk’us Feather Park is now an activated 100-acre waterfront at the heart of the Oceanfront Squamish development.

Anchor QEA’s integrated landscape architecture and engineering team led the site remediation and design to transform this property into a public amenity that provides community access to Howe Sound, a world-class windsports destination, and Squamish First Nation access to culturally significant edible marsh species. The design centers around a human-powered watercraft windsports beach, a general-use beach, and a traditional intertidal root garden.

Dickman Mill Park and Head Saw

Tacoma, Washington

Set within a restored landscape along Tacoma’s bustling Ruston Way, Dickman Mill Park balances public enjoyment with Puget Sound ecology and historical human use. The design incorporates intentional placement of artifacts, interpretation, and improved access to this public shoreline, bringing together native plantings, art, and coastal resiliency design strategies.

The award-winning landscape architecture and restoration reflect thoughtful research into the Dickman Lumber Mill’s history and mechanical processes through preservation of the massive head saw, carriage, on-site foundations, and views of the bay. The Ghost Log sculpture represents old-growth timber alongside traditional basket weave and cedar boughs sacred to the Puyallup Tribe.

Meydenbauer Bay Park 

Bellevue, Washington

Meydenbauer Bay Park realizes the City of Bellevue’s vision to connect its downtown to its waterfront origins. A formerly private waterfront is now a 7-acre public park with a swim beach, open hillside, and a variety of pathways built into a dynamic shoreline on a very steep slope.

Anchor QEA led the design and restoration for this first phase, including habitat and ecological process restoration featuring a salmon-friendly shoreline and low-impact development techniques throughout. Artwork, including tiles depicting local historical imagery, reflects the site’s human and natural history, and a pedestrian pier extends from the park’s uplands to an overwater viewpoint.

Colorado Lagoon Restoration

Long Beach, California

Colorado Lagoon is an 18-acre saltwater tidal lagoon hydraulically connected to Alamitos Bay and the Pacific Ocean via an underground culvert. As a result, water quality is impacted by runoff from an urban watershed.

The restoration design will improve water and sediment quality as well as aquatic and shoreline habitats for recreational use. Features include a new decomposed granite walking trail, a reclaimed water irrigation system, replanting of native species, and a vegetated bioswale to help remove pollution from surface runoff water.

Titlow Park Lagoon Restoration 

Tacoma, Washington

At Titlow Park, a BNSF railway separates 4.7 acres of estuary lagoon from Puget Sound, limiting tidal exchange connection. The design restores the lagoon estuarine marsh and riparian habitats by removing city-owned culverts within a railroad embankment and constructing a new nearly 100-foot span railroad trestle bridge. Elevated pathways and new pedestrian bridges support sea level rise resiliency and improve recreational amenities for community use.

Anchor QEA landscape architects, in collaboration with Metro Parks Tacoma, led a multidisciplinary team for park and BSNF bridge design, habitat restoration design, environmental permitting, public outreach, and grant coordination for the 75-acre park.

Moran State Park

Orcas Island, Washington

Moran State Park is a recreational gem in the San Juan Islands. Many of its historical facilities were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, and the last major renovation was completed in the 1970s. Since then, much of the park is urgently in need of renovation or replacement to continue accommodating growing amounts of visitors to the island.

To both restore and protect historic structures and sensitive natural areas, Anchor QEA created an ultimate renovation and phased implementation plan for the 5,400-acre park.

Fort Worden Historical State Park

Port Townsend, Washington

Fort Worden’s important cultural, ecological, historical, and recreational resources draw visitors from across the Puget Sound region. To improve the shoreline environment and create new recreational opportunities, the rehabilitation design strategy incorporates long-term durability, habitat restoration, and coastal modeling that considers sea level rise over the next 50 years.

The design includes reconstruction of an existing boat launch, removal of the historic World War II pier, construction of a new pedestrian-scaled pier, and restoration of a dynamic shoreline environment.

Blake Island Marine State Park

Kitsap County, Washington

Offering recreational boating, camping, and educational activities that connect the public with Puget Sound’s natural and cultural heritage just off the coast of Seattle, Blake Island’s marine infrastructure and access has been impacted by coastal changes over the past 50 years.

Anchor QEA embarked with Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission on the Blake Island Marina Facility Improvement Pre-Design to deliver a feasible preferred alternative that includes a new marina with a mix of slip sizes, boating amenities like power and water, universal and ADA access, and replacement of a rock breakwater with a buried rock feature with soft shoreline habitat enhancements.

Violet Andrews Park 

Portland, Texas

Violet Andrews Park includes approximately 1,300 linear feet of shoreline and is a worldwide destination for water sports such as kiteboarding. 

Anchor QEA developed a conceptual park renovation plan that balances recreation with restoration, supporting the City of Portland’s goal to improve public shoreline access and safety while expanding upland park activities. Design features include a larger access point to the water for kiteboarders, walking trails, a playground, and additional bathrooms and parking.

Seahurst Park Restoration 

Burien, Washington

Seahurst Park is the largest seawall removal project on Puget Sound. This award-winning restoration exemplifies how to holistically plan and design a resilient coastal zone that simultaneously supports ecological function and a diverse community.

Spanning 12 years of planning, design, and construction, Anchor QEA landscape architects set the ecological foundation by balancing protection of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon with improved recreation, environmental education facilities, and sustainable infrastructure. The park is now a multilayered, resilient open space that benefits people and wildlife.

Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation

San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island is the most visited site in the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, receiving 1.8 million visitors annually. Anchor QEA landscape architects supported the environmental impact study by developing multiple alternatives to improve the visitor experience and water transportation services between Alcatraz Island and San Francisco.

Pier 31 1/2 was identified as the preferred site with the best mix of indoor and outdoor program areas, including interpretive areas, ticket queuing, boat staging, and rehabilitation of the pier shed.

Christina-Brandywine River Resilience 

Wilmington, Delaware

Winding through culturally and historically important areas that are home to some of the most vulnerable communities in Delaware, this project will address legacy toxic contamination through remediation to make the Lower Christina-Brandywine River swimmable as quickly as possible.

Anchor QEA is working with American Rivers to develop a comprehensive database for the river through narrative maps, online videos, and web links that convey the watershed history and future resilience strategy; engage and facilitate community input; and develop ecological restoration design for up to 10 projects.

Awards

2024, ASLA, Washington Chapter, Award of Excellence, General Design, Public Ownership Category, Meadowdale Beach Park and Estuary Restoration

2023, National Recreation and Park Association, Innovation in Conservation Award, Meadowdale Beach Park and Estuary Restoration

2022, ASLA, Washington Chapter, Honor Award, General Design, Public Ownership Category, Dickman Mill Park Expansion and Head Saw Restoration

2022, Washington Recreation and Park Association, Spotlight Facilities and Parks Award, Population Over 100,000, Dickman Mill Park Expansion and Head Saw Restoration

2019, ASLA, Washington Chapter, Merit Award, General Design, Public Ownership Category, Meydenbauer Bay Park Development

2018, American Planning Association, Federal Planning Division Honor Award, Outstanding Collaborative Planning Project, Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation Environmental Impact Statement

2014, Futurewise, Excellence in Protecting Natural Resource Areas, Seahurst Park Ecosystem Restoration