A new levee built by the Stillaguamish Tribe, left, separates farmland from newly restored wetlands at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River near Stanwood, Washington, on April 8, 2026. Megan Farmer /KUOW hide caption

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Megan Farmer /KUOW

Scott Boyd walks through deep mud where the Stillaguamish River empties into Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean.

This flood-prone river mouth north of Seattle changed dramatically in October when the Stillaguamish Tribe removed two miles of earthen levee. The ridge of dirt kept the river and the tides from spreading onto nearby farmland.…