Up to 900 tons of giant driftwood are removed from Seattle-area waterways each year by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District. Much of the material does not end up as waste. Instead, the Corps works with local organisations to give the recovered timber a second use in habitat restoration projects. The wood is collected during routine work to keep waterways safe for vessels, then used along damaged shorelines where it can help protect banks and provide valuable spaces for wildlife.
Up to 900 tons of driftwood are removed each year by Army Corps
The large pieces of wood are collected as part of an important but largely unseen job. The Seattle District’s Navigation Section removes objects and debris that could damage vessels or create risks to public health, recreation or the environment in publicly maintained commercial boat harbours.According to the US Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District, the Motor Vessel Puget patrols inland waters of Puget Sound to collect debris and obstructions to navigation. The crew also cuts large pieces of wood into more manageable sections before moving them onto barges for transport.The amount of timber recovered can be substantial. Stephen Green, a small craft operator with the Motor Vessel Puget, said the vessel can clear about 900 tons of large woody debris from a waterway during a high-flow year. The Corps says much of the wood is old-growth timber that is dense and has been well preserved by the water.
A US Army Corps of Engineers’ barge, at Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle, overflows with large woody debris, derelict objects, waterfront debris and other sources of drift, that may damage vessels or threaten public health, recreation or the environment at publicly maintained commercial boat harbors. Image Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers
How does the recovered wood find another purpose
The material does not simply disappear once it has been taken out of the water. The Seattle District has developed partnerships with environmental and conservation organisations that can make use of the salvaged timber in restoration work.The Corps said it finds beneficial reuse for about 80% of the tonnage it collects. That means a large share of the wood removed for navigation and safety purposes can instead become part of projects designed to improve shorelines and aquatic environments.The process involves collecting the large woody debris, reducing it to manageable pieces and placing it on barges near the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle. From there, the material can be transported to restoration sites. This approach gives the recovered timber a practical role after its original removal.
Motor Vessel (MV) Puget crew members stack recovered timber piles, for safe transportation to Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle. The vessel patrols the inland waters of Puget Sound, collecting debris and obstructions to navigation. Image Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers
The Port of Seattle uses the logs along damaged shorelines
One of the main partners is the Port of Seattle, which uses salvaged large woody debris in shoreline restoration projects around Elliott Bay and the Duwamish Waterway. The logs are used to help stabilise eroding bank lines while also adding structure to areas where fish and wildlife can live.Kathleen Hurley, senior environmental programme manager for Maritime Environment and Sustainability at the Port of Seattle, explained in the Corps article that the logs are installed to reproduce the role that large wood historically played when timber moved downstream and accumulated in estuarine areas. The resulting structures provide habitat while stabilising the shoreline.The scale of that work has grown over time. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Port has used between 1,450 and 1,475 salvaged logs in 10 separate shoreline projects built since 2006. These include projects along the Duwamish Waterway as well as sites at Terminal 91 and Centennial Park.The Port has also used the large woody debris in 4 city projects and a number of community art projects, giving the recovered material uses beyond the original navigation work.
A rehabilitated shoreline section near Seattle, showing post-salvage environmental improvements and erosion control vegetation. Image Credit: Port of Seattle/USACE
What makes the old timber useful for habitat
The logs are particularly useful because of their size and durability. The Corps describes the recovered wood as dense and well preserved by its time in the water, characteristics that make it suitable for long-lasting restoration work.At restoration sites, the Port anchors the logs with stainless steel cable and duckbill anchors. According to the Seattle District, this helps stabilise shorelines and creates planting zones where vegetation can become established.The result is more than a barrier against erosion. The large pieces of wood add physical structure to the shoreline, creating more varied spaces within the aquatic environment. That gives fish and wildlife additional habitat while helping restored areas withstand the pressures affecting urban shorelines.
A partnership that began in 2006 continues to grow
The cooperation between the Seattle District and the Port of Seattle began in 2006 and has continued through numerous restoration projects. The January 2026 Army article describes the partnership as a way of connecting navigation work with environmental restoration, allowing the same material to serve two purposes.There are also practical benefits to reusing the wood. The Corps says the approach can reduce the need for disposal activities such as landfill use, fuel consumption and long-distance truck transport. It also allows vessel crews to spend less time dealing with disposal logistics and more time on their core navigation work. In this case, the second life of the timber begins after it leaves the water.
