North Whidbey beach closed until Nov. 18

Published 3:11 pm Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Public access to the beach at Bowman Bay in Deception Pass State Park will be closed for improvements through Wednesday, Nov. 18, state Parks and Recreation Commission said.

The closure, which was set to start Tuesday, will allow removing a stone-and-boulder riprap bulkhead, regrading the beach with a mixture of sand and gravel appropriate for surf smelt spawning habitat and planting native vegetation.

Access to the beach will be closed at Rosario Road, and trails to the beach from other areas will also be closed.

The project “will make it easier for people to get to the water, uncover important beach habitat and increase food for juvenile salmon and marine birds,” said Jay Lind, vice president of the Northwest Straits Foundation, in a prepared news release.