Habitat engineering supports habitat restoration, protection, and enhancement by providing review and input, conceptual design, and full design and construction management on projects across Washington.
These restoration and protection projects provide habitat benefits to Washington’s fish and wildlife, while offering examples of positive -- and often innovative -- projects for others working to protect Washington's habitats, including the public, private consulting, and other public agencies.
In addition to extensive project design expertise, the habitat engineering team is also available to provide habitat surveying support and guidance, as well as permitting support to help streamline required permitting processes and maximize habitat restoration funding.
If you have questions about getting started, email WDFW's habitat engineering staff or find a habitat biologist in your area.
Areas of design
WDFW offers assistance with the following areas of project design:
- Water Crossings
- Intertidal Water Crossings
- Fish Passage
- River and Stream Restoration
- Large Wood
- Estuary Restoration
- Beach Restoration
- Screens
- Chum Channel
- Herpetology
- Stream Survey
- Low Tech Floodplain Restoration
Surveying
Surveying of the natural environment and habitats for fish and wildlife species requires different procedures than typical topographic or boundary surveys. The WDFW habitat engineering team's habitat surveyors offer this expertise.
These experts can be available to assist aspiring restoration professionals and growing teams of restoration practitioners.
Different types of habitat surveys
- Stream survey
- Diversion Screens
- Fish Passage Improvement Structures
- Estuaries
- Beaches and Shorelines
- Wetlands
- Ponds, Lakes, and Impoundments
Permitting support
Habitat engineering uses a unique combination of formal engineering and habitat driven engineering to assist streamlined permit programs to help avoid risks to public safety and ensure the standards for those programs are met. Programs include: