Lowman Beach has been named one of the 2024 Best Restored Shores award winner. The beach underwent a complete restoration, reopening in 2022.
Photo by Kimberly Robinson
Lowman Beach Park has been honored by the American Beach Preservation Association (ABPA). It is located at 7017 Beach Drive SW.
The park went through a serious restoration following the pandemic and reopened in April 2022 after extensive work. Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) initiated the project. A seawall that had been installed in1995 had suffered a series of breaks due to storms and eventually failed. The restoration put in a new reinforced and shorter seawall, daylighted Pelly Creek, and created approximately 7000 square feet of unobstructed shoreline. An aging tennis court, fencing and existing trees were removed. The beach was regraded and naturalized. The swing set and hand boat launch area were retained and benches were added. “Supporting a thriving environment is one of Seattle Parks and Recreation core values,” said AP Diaz, SPR Superintendent. “We are honored to receive this national award for our work to improve this shoreline park for the habitat and people of Seattle.”
The APBA said:
"The Lowman Beach Park Shoreline Restoration located in Seattle, Washington is a standout example of urban shoreline restoration. It serves as a blueprint for similar projects in urban areas constrained by existing infrastructure and private properties. The project aims to enhance both the park and the shoreline in a sustainable manner, achieving multiple objectives: improving park access, enhancing ecological process, expanding nearshore habitat, and enhancing adaptive capacity in the face of rising sea levels. Another key aspect of the project that makes it unique is the daylighting and creating a natural bank for over 100 feet of creek that was previously buried culvert and allowing for fresh water to flow across the shoreface. This not only restores the natural hydrological process but also offers the public a unique opportunity to experience the dynamic interactions between fluvial and coastal systems for the first time in nearly 90 years.
The 2024 Best Restored Shores award recipients will be recognized on August 27, 2024 at the ASBPA National Coastal Conference in Galveston, Texas. A complete list of Best Restored Shores award recipients are available at https://asbpa.org/about-us/awards-program/. "