Puget Sound Remains a Place of Stunning Natural Beauty

...but problems lurk beneath the surface

In the 150 years since Europeans settled what would become Washington State, we have cut down 90% of Puget Sound's forests, diked and dammed many of the region's rivers, poured tons of wastes into the bays and estuaries, and fished several species to the point of extinction. Yet Puget Sound, with over 2500 miles of shoreline, remains one of the most beautiful and unique ecosystems in the United States.

Puget Sound is a complex marine estuary where nutrient-rich salt water meets and mixes with fresh water flowing from 10,000 rivers and streams that flow into the Sound from the surrounding Cascade and Olympic mountains.

Carved by glacial action over thousands of years, its deep, cold, tidal waters and warmer, shallow estuaries are home to an abundance of marine, plant and animal life.

Covering more that 16,000 square miles of land and water – from the rocky shores of the San Juan Islands to the mudflats of the South Sound inlets - Puget Sound is also habitat for over 4 million humans.

While much of the Sound is healthy, recent growth and development are stressing the system. Polluted water, closed shellfish beaches, toxic sediments, loss of habitat and sharp declines of fish, marine mammals and birds are signs that that Sounds needs help.

Dead Whale on Beach

Information about Puget Sound:

From the National Estuary Program:

West Coast National Estuary Program Coastal Condition, Puget Sound Action
Team, June 2007

From the Puget Sound Partnership:

STATE OF THE SOUND, 2007

PUGET SOUND FACTS

"Puget Sound - Where land and sea meet"
"Whether you’re a lifelong resident of Puget Sound, a transplanted citizen or just visiting, you know how special this place is. If you’ve never visited this part of the United States, then you’ve missed out on what many consider to be the jewel of the Pacific Northwest..." (more)

"Puget Sound" (Wikipedia)
"Puget Sound is an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States..." (more)

"Puget Sound's Past" (Washington State Dept. of Ecology)
A timeline of Puget Sound history. (more)

Puget Sound’s Natural History and Ecology

    Biology and Ecology

    Geology and glaciation

OTHER LINKS:

Pollution in Puget Sound:

How human impacts have altered the natural setting of Puget Sound, and why complex and difficult solutions are necessary.

Puget Sound and Human Health:

Health related issues such as Puget Sound fish consumption; shellfish bed closures; beach closures, red tides, etc.

Exploring Puget Sound:

Some of the ways to look at the Sound: Maps and photos

Education and Resources:

More resources for learning about Puget Sound