Whatcom County, WA Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

Washington's Shoreline Management Act, RCW 90.58, governs Whatcom County's marine coast on the Salish Sea and Bellingham Bay, Lake Whatcom, the Nooksack River, and other large water bodies. Development within 200 feet of the ordinary high-water mark falls under the county's Shoreline Master Program, which sets buffers, vegetation conservation, and a no-net-loss habitat standard protecting ESA-listed Nooksack Chinook salmon. A shoreline substantial development permit, conditional use permit, or documented exemption is required depending on the work. Bulkheads and other hard armoring face strict review, with soft, bioengineered bank protection preferred. Building on eroding marine bluffs and in the Nooksack channel migration zone is heavily restricted, and Cherry Point industrial shorelines carry their own management provisions.