Viewfinder: New Wetlands Area Now Open at Juanita Beach Park

The nearly of , a popular spot for recreation for , is nearly complete, with the recent opening of its newly created wetlands area.

Designed to provide aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife and act as a settling basin to filter pollutants coming down Juanita Creek, the wetlands opened last Friday with a pathway and two viewing platforms.

It remains a work in progress as newly planted native aquatic and upland vegetation matures to provide habitat for salmon, cutthroat trout, beavers, otters, waterfowl and other birds. But it is already serving as a more contemplative component of the often busy park.

"We hope folks will see it as a nice compliment to some of the more active features of the park," says Michael Cogle, interim assistant director of the .

Hydro-seeding of grass in areas around the wetlands was schedueld to take place Friday (Sept. 23). And parks crews have begun removing wooden baffles below the docks that surround the park's wading area -- an effort to improve water circulation and quality in shallow Juanita Bay.

But soon the work will be complete. At any rate, the wetlands area is open -- take a tour of it in our photo gallery here.