Shoreline Reports and Permitting

Shoreline Management Act (SMA)

The Shoreline Management Act was ratified by Washington voters in 1972, in order to protect and preserve our shared shoreline ecosystems for future generations. Shorelines in the SMA are defined as marine shorelines (saltwater), rivers with flow greater than 20 cubic feet per second, lakes larger than  20 acres, upland areas within 200 feet of these water bodies, and the floodplains and wetlands associated with these shorelines.

Generally, the shoreline itself is defined by the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM). From there, the SMA has authority over 200 feet inland from that OHWM. Most jurisdictions don’t manage the full 200 feet from the OHWM, but rather have a shoreline setback of 30-150 feet inland. Those areas are more heavily regulated than the entire 200 foot shoreline jurisdiction.

Why are shorelines protected?

Shorelines provide many crucial functions and services to our community. Shorelines are shared ecosystems benefited by many people, not just those who own property on the shoreline. Many aspects of Washington’s general population benefit form shoreline ecology and it’s health. The shoreline is critical to the health and food sources of salmon and orca. Food for orca literally begin the food web living on the washed up carcasses, seaweed, shells, and wood laying on the beach. Shorelines also provide critical habitat for many endangered and priority species.

Washington Shorelines are a complex and diverse ecosystem that can be found on both marine and freshwater shorelines of lakes, rivers and oceans. The common characteristics are that they support a unique set of conditions and provide important functions to the environment and society. Historically, shorelines have experienced heavy losses, primarily due to the installation of bulkheads near cities that limit the accessible beach, habitat and filtering abilities of buffers.