Sternberg (1967) has estimated the river to deposit 690,000 cubic meters of sediment into Bellingham Bay annually.
The shoreline to the east of the [Nooksack River] delta has been significantly modified over the past decades by landfills, piers, and breakwaters for numerous port oriented industrial and commercial establishments associated with the port and City of Bellingham.
The Nooksack River enters the [Bellingham] bay from the north dividing the bay’s shoreline into two distinctive east and west sections.
Southerly winds and waves prevail within Bellingham Bay. During the winter, waves up to 1.2 meters (4.0 ft.) are often generated within the bay by southerly winds 30 to 40 knots in velocity. In the sunnner, prevailing southerly wave buildup is smaller as winds are weaker. Southerly and southeasterly waves strike with greatest intensity along the south facing shoreline of the Lummi Reservation. The waves, often armed with drift logs, rapidly erode the bluffs. Occassionally, northeasterly winds create waves up to 0.5 meters (1.5 ft.) that break along piers and wharves on the east side of the bay; however, these waves are largely insignificant.
