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1. Ecosystems Intro and Simulation Lesson Plan

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1. Ecosystems Intro and Simulation Lesson Plan

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student sheet-Watershed model activity updated version 2 Sept-2019

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4. Macro Mayhem-Stream Simulation lesson

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4. Macro Mayhem-Stream Simulation lesson

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Macroinvertebrate Mayhem 2.0-Play instructions and data table

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5. Water Quality Monitoring with Live Macroinvertebrates lesson plan

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5. Water Quality Monitoring with Live Macroinvertebrates lesson plan

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Gr 3-6 Water Quality Testing, Macros-Kari Ann Version

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5. MacroInvertebrate data collection form

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5. MacroInvertebrate data collection form

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single group Macro station data record sheet handout 8x11

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How to Fold an 8-Page Zine (Mini Journal)

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How to Fold an 8-Page Zine (Mini Journal)

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Wake Up Your Senses: Mini Sit-Spot Journal 

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Wake Up Your Senses: Mini Sit-Spot Journal 

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Print out and fold your own mini nature journal.

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Projects promote scientific exploration, inquiry, and a deeper understanding of our natural world. The activities can be on-going or one-time events that can be repeated. These projects are ideally suited for the outdoors but often mention an indoor modification.

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Projects promote scientific exploration, inquiry, and a deeper understanding of our natural world. The activities can be on-going or one-time events that can be repeated. These projects are ideally suited for the outdoors but often mention an indoor modification.

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Lost and (Puget) Sound-Student Worksheet

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Lost and (Puget) Sound-Student Worksheet

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Lost and (puget) Sound student worksheet

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Lesson Plan/Student worksheet for Lost and (Puget) Sound Video

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Lesson Plan/Student worksheet for Lost and (Puget) Sound Video

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Lost and Puget Sound video Guide-and-Worksheet

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Stream Macroinvertebrate ID Dichotomous Key

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Stream Macroinvertebrate ID Dichotomous Key

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MacroInvertebrate ID sheet with tolerance groups breakdown

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MacroInvertebrate ID sheet with tolerance groups breakdown

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Optimal Water Quality Standards for Aquatic Ecosystems

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Optimal Water Quality Standards for Aquatic Ecosystems

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Optimal Water Quality Standard for Aquatic Ecosystems

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Water Quality Monitoring with Macro Invertebrate lesson (King County)

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Water Quality Monitoring with Macro Invertebrate lesson (King County)

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Instructions are printed on each sheet.
-Choose a fish design.
-Print out side A and B
-Color, cut, staple the edges-leaving an opening, stuff with cutoff paper, finish stapling-to close it up, and add some string to hang it up.

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This video, produced in concert with the "One With The Watershed" curriculum, tells the traditional story of Salmon Woman and the promises made to get salmon to return to their rivers of origin. Experience the many challenges of swimming into the heart of a watershed through the eyes of the salmon, and learn lessons critical to the protection and restoration of this precious resource. The video, presented by Salmon Homecoming, was produced by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission with a Title II grant through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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This video, produced in concert with the "One With The Watershed" curriculum, tells the traditional story of Salmon Woman and the promises made to get salmon to return to their rivers of origin. Experience the many challenges of swimming into the heart of a watershed through the eyes of the salmon, and learn lessons critical to the protection and restoration of this precious resource. The video, presented by Salmon Homecoming, was produced by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission with a Title II grant through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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Saving the Southern Resident Killer Whales-A Project-Based Learning Unit for Middle School

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Saving the Southern Resident Killer Whales-A Project-Based Learning Unit for Middle School

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Project-based learning (PBL) shifts classrooms from teacher-centered instruction toward student-directed learning. Rather than passively learning, students are given the opportunity to try their hand at coaching, facilitating, and co-learning. Southern Resident conservation and recovery are natural topics for PBL.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Stormwater sneaks up on the Seattle region so innocently, as rain droplets falling through the misty air, but when it hits the ground, it picks up bacteria from lawn fertilizers, copper from break pad deposits, oil from vehicle emissions and other pollutants that become deadly to salmon and Orcas when they trickle into Puget Sound. That's why we partnered with Washington State University to solve stormwater issues surrounding our urban cities.

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The Aurora Bridge during a rainstorm. 2.3 million gallons of highly polluted stormwater runoff rolls off the north end of this bridge annually. © Heather Van Steenburgh

Stories in Washington

In Puget Sound, we're making cities more resilient and livable by developing green infrastructure and natural solutions to pollution.

It's another rainy day in Seattle. In the city's Fremont neighborhood, stormwater flows off the Aurora Bridge, which spans the waterway that connects urban Lake Union to Puget Sound. The stormwater, which fell as rain, is now laden with chemicals and metals from rubber tires, brakes, motor oils, antifreeze and other sources.

Every year, 2.3 million gallons of highly polluted stormwater runoff rolls off the north end of this one bridge into the Fremont neighborhood. It seems destined to contaminate the water below-a key route for migrating salmon-and end up in Puget Sound.

In fact, an astounding 75 percent of the toxic chemicals that enter Puget Sound come from stormwater runoff. Our data show that there are 359,500 acres of impervious surface in the Puget Sound, or about 560 square miles. That's more than 272,300 football fields of asphalt, concrete and metal where rainwater washes off without being taken up by trees or seeping slowly into the ground.

Just one acre of pavement can put a million gallons of polluted runoff into Puget Sound each year. And in urban waters like Lake Union, stormwater may kill up to 80 percent of migrating coho salmon before they have had a chance to spawn-significantly higher than the 1 percent mortality rate that occurrs naturally for pre-spawn salmon.

Creating Better Cities, Naturally

At TNC in Washington, we know that our cities, habitat and salmon are profoundly connected by water, from those hallmark rains to our rivers and Puget Sound. We understand that by improving how people, development, water and natural infrastructure interact, we can have a positive, powerful impact on water quality, salmon and our own lives.

Through our Cities program, we're forging partnerships and promoting strategies that improve water quality as it flows through our urban places. For example, our research partners have demonstrated that simply passing stormwater through natural material like sand and compost filters out many toxins, restoring water to a safe, clean quality that supports salmon. This "green infrastructure," incorporated into cities as rain gardens, swales and thoughtfully designed diversion and filtering structures, also do double duty as green spaces where city dwellers can bask in a slice of nearby nature. That is proven to have wide-ranging benefits for mental health as well as physical wellness.

Puget Sound is growing fast: More than 80,000 new people move here every year. Now is the time to plan for the future, making our cities better for Puget Sound, salmon and people. Two inspiring projects are examples of how we are doing just that.

Clean Water Under the Bridge

Fremont, the lively, funky neighborhood surrounding the Aurora Bridge, buzzes with coffee shops, breweries and thriving software companies. Developer Mark Grey of Stephen C. Grey & Associates was just beginning work on a new office building there when he saw a video about the devastating effect untreated storm water has on salmon.

Grey wanted to help. With the proposed new building located directly beneath the Aurora Bridge, he realized he was in a unique position to make a difference. Grey contacted Salmon Safe -a certification and accreditation program for new buildings, farms, wineries and other development to ensure land-management practices that protect watersheds-to explore how the new building could help protect waterways.

With help from TNC and Salmon Safe, developer, architects and engineers were able to navigate the complex permitting and regulatory process that allowed them to divert stormwater runoff from the Aurora Bridge into a series of cascading raingardens along the new building. In addition to such surface features, the project also involved rerouting downspouts from the bridge, installing an underground holding vault to capture excess runoff and additional public utility, cost and design components.

The project-which is at the intersection of transportation, surface-water runoff, green infrastructure and building design-blazes the permitting and regulatory trail. This is a success story for how TNC and partners can forge public-private solutions to break policy roadblocks and accelerate change.

After three phases of green-infrastructure development, the Aurora Bridge project will filter and treat 2.3 million gallons of heavily polluted runoff annually to high standards of water quality. It also provides a welcoming natural environment for residents and workers.

Remove Pavement, Discover Roots

Just south of Seattle, in the city of Kent, rain no longer flows unchecked across a cracked asphalt parking lot. Instead, rainwater collected in cisterns waters a flourishing community garden, where immigrants and refugees from all over the world find a renewed connection to the soil, to their culinary roots and to each other.

The transformation from pavement to community garden was fast. With leadership from refugee resettlement organization World Relief Seattle, generous donation of the unused parking lot by Kent Hillside Church and support from partners including TNC, it took just months. More than 1,000 volunteers removed the 20,000-square-foot parking lot and built a community garden in its place.

The Hillside Paradise Parking Plots garden boasts 50 separate plots, four 4,000-gallon cisterns, a tool shed and a blossoming community centered on gardening, culturally familiar foods and a connection to the soil. Now the garden is looking to complete its rain gardens and bioswale to capture more of the water flowing across the parking lot and plant trees to shade the plots.

Of course, converting pavement to a runoff-filtering garden has great trickle-down benefits for water, habitat and salmon as well. The rain garden will collect and filter stormwater runoff from 90,000 square feet of surrounding streets and parking lots. It's also an island of cool that helps reduce urban heat. In this inspiring place, solutions to stormwater runoff intersect with human wellness in the best possible way.

Reimagining Our Cities

Puget Sound's cities, communities, rivers and sound and iconic salmon are deeply connected through water. Yet, stormwater runoff is one of the greatest threats to the health of this fast-growing region.

By designing our cities to function more like forests, where rain percolates into soil for a filtering effect, we can help solve our stormwater problems. Using green infrastructure and the power of partnerships, we are re-imagining Puget Sound's urban places as good for nature-and good for people.

Donate to Support TNC's Cities Work in Washington

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Finding Solutions for Puget Sound Cities and Salmon

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Stories in Washington In Puget Sound, we're making cities more resilient and livable by developing green infrastructure and natural solutions to pollution. It's another rainy day in Seattle. In the city's Fremont neighborhood, stormwater flows off the Aurora Bridge, which spans the waterway that connects urban Lake Union to Puget Sound.

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If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound

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If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound

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Join the City of Tacoma in making sure that only rain goes down the storm drain because “if it hits the ground, it hits the Sound.” When it rains in Tacoma, Stormwater flows over roofs, down gutters, across lawns, streets, and other hard surfaces, picking up litter and other harmful chemicals and pollutants along the way.  Stormwater then runs off, untreated, into nearby lakes, creeks, streams, and down storm drains, where it is carried straight to Puget Sound by Tacoma's Stormwater system. These pollutants are harmful and can kill salmon and other marine life. That's why it is important to make sure that the only thing going down our storm drains is clean stormwater. cityoftacoma.org/stormwater

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Stormwater: If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound

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Pierce Conservation District Water Quality Program for Volunteers

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Pierce Conservation District Water Quality Program for Volunteers

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Water is one of our region’s most valuable resources.  From the glaciers on Mt. Rainier to the salt water of Puget Sound and all the streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes in between, Pierce County is filled with water.

The District works with community volunteers to monitor the health of our streams and rivers in order to educate the public about how our daily lives impact our local water.

The data collected through our Stream Team Program helps promote low-impact development practices, informs public agencies of problem areas, and inspires citizen action to improve our water quality.

The District also engages community members in action initiatives through our rain garden, Depave, and streamside planting programs. These programs directly improve the water quality of our region by filtering out pollutants and reducing stormwater runoff. Collectively, the efforts create an informed public and help local communities meet Clean Water Act standards.

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Water is one of our region's most valuable resources. From the glaciers on Mt. Rainier to the salt water of Puget Sound and all the streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes in between, Pierce County is filled with water.

The District works with citizen volunteers to monitor the health of our streams and rivers in order to educate the public about how our daily lives impact our local water.

The data collected through our Stream Team Program helps promote low-impact development practices, informs public agencies of problem areas, and inspires citizen action to improve our water quality.

The District also engages citizens in action initiatives through our rain garden, Depave, and streamside planting programs. These programs directly improve the water quality of our region by filtering out pollutants and reducing stormwater runoff. Collectively, the efforts create an informed public and help local communities meet Clean Water Act standards.

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The Water Quality Improvement program focuses on creating an informed public around water and helping local communities meet Clean Water Act standards. We engage community volunteers in green stormwater programming and monitoring local waters; action projects like depaving, installing rain gardens, planting trees in urban spaces and along streams work to filter out pollutants and reduce stormwater runoff.

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Stream Team History (Volunteer Watershed Monitoring Program)

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Stream Team History (Volunteer Watershed Monitoring Program)

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Pierce Conservation District’s Stream Team 1994 to Present

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Through our Youth Leading Change chapters in Tacoma and Pierce County, we empower young people to become leaders in their communities.

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To learn more about Youth Leading Change or to join, contact ylc@safest.org.

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Youth Leading Change

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Since 1994, the Pierce Conservation District Stream Team has been deeply engaged and in relationship with community members as Stream Team monitors. Since that time, 2,050 people have participated in the Stream Team Program and grown from 8 to 39 sites. Through long term engagement with monitors, we produce Stream Team reports for jurisdictions, update monitors through monthly emails and provide watershed programming. Our monitors also can participate in leadership and engagement through our Chinook Program, as an advanced Stream Team monitor.

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Since 1994, the Pierce Conservation District Stream Team has been deeply engaged and in relationship with community members as Stream Team monitors. Since that time, 2,050 people have participated in the Stream Team Program and grown from 8 to 39 sites.

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Find Examples of Action Projects and Share Your Own Projects

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Find Examples of Action Projects and Share Your Own Projects

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A community map showing how our community is taking action to restore the Puget Sound

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Welcome! We are here to educate and inspire action for our Central Puget Sound watersheds.

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Guide for selecting the right plants for your native habitat gardens

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save

e-mail

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Swamp lantern (also unflatteringly called skunk cabbage) lines the path. Although its scent is considered quite unpleasant by some, its beautiful yellow color in spring will light the way. If you really don't like the smell, feel free to substitute. False lily of the valley can spread aggressively but will not out compete the larger shrubs nearby. Cascara and vine maple will do well in the drier areas of the wet zone. Most of these trees and shrubs cannot survive year-round standing water.

Plant list for Wet, shady

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(no plants selected) save e-mail print Swamp lantern (also unflatteringly called skunk cabbage) lines the path. Although its scent is considered quite unpleasant by some, its beautiful yellow color in spring will light the way. If you really don't like the smell, feel free to substitute.

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Native Plant Guide-Featuring plants native to Western Washington and native plant gardening tips

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Native Plant Guide-Featuring plants native to Western Washington and native plant gardening tips

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Resources for creating your own native plant landscape

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Find plants native to Western Washington and make a custom plant list for your garden or location

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Northwest Natural Yard and Garden (King County)

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Northwest Natural Yard and Garden (King County)

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This page provides earth-friendly info about gardening and yard care. For similar info and programs for farmers in King County, please visit our King County agriculture page.

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1 Million Trees
Learn about native trees, how to plant them and get grants for large scale tree plantings.

Gardening - WSU King County Extension
Join the Master Gardeners program or find master gardener resources, peruse gardening topics for Western Washington, schedule presentations or get tips on pesticides-- world class, face to face.

How to build a rain garden
Rain gardens filter pollution from stormwater and support unusual native plants, and WSU has set a goal for register 12,000 rain gardens in the Puget Sound basin - from WSU Extension.

Greening your Shoreline
A tool for lakeshore property owners on Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish to improve shorelines for people and salmon.

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1 Million Trees Learn about native trees, how to plant them and get grants for large scale tree plantings. Gardening - WSU King County Extension Join the Master Gardeners program or find master gardener resources, peruse gardening topics for Western Washington, schedule presentations or get tips on pesticides-- world class, face to face.

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How to build a rain garden-Resources from Washington State University Extension

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How to build a rain garden-Resources from Washington State University Extension

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Congratulations for thinking of building a rain garden!
Find all things Rain Garden here.

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How to build a rain garden

Congratulations for thinking of building a rain garden!

A great first step is to watch this 5 minute video: Building a Rain Garden in the City and learn why, where and how to build a rain garden.

Next, download the free Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington. The handbook will help you design, install and maintain your rain garden. Be sure to check out where and where not to build your garden. Not every place is suitable.

We want your garden to look good and function beautifully.

Here's help:

Rain Garden Events and Locations

To learn about events and find rain gardens in your area visit the 12000 Rain Gardens website where you can click on an interactive map.

Questions?

If you have more questions please contact your County Extension rain garden expert.

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How To Build a Rain Garden | Rain Gardens | Washington State University

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Congratulations for thinking of building a rain garden! A great first step is to watch this 5 minute video: Building a Rain Garden in the City and learn why, where and how to build a rain garden. Next, download the free Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington.

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Learn about stormwater and how to prevent pollution.
Learn about stormwater and how to reduce pollution
how to reduce pollution

Learn about stormwater and how to reduce pollution

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Meet the Salmon in Pierce County WA and Find Out Where You Can See Them.

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Meet the Salmon in Pierce County WA and Find Out Where You Can See Them.

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Article from the National Environmental Education Foundation(NEEF) that describes stormwater issues and shares solutions.

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Next time it rains, observe how water flows once it hits the ground. If you are one of the 80.7% of Americans living in urban areas, chances are water has trouble penetrating the ground when it rains where you live. Due to increasing impervious cover (like paved streets, driveways, and rooftops), large volumes of water end up flowing across the land as stormwater runoff as opposed to penetrating the ground. Runoff is one of the main threats to the over 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams in the US that supply water for our crops, power our cities, support aquatic ecosystems, and provide numerous recreational and commercial opportunities. This is because as stormwater runs off, it accumulates pollutants like sediments, nutrients, and oils, before entering nearby water bodies, including streams and rivers. Large volumes of fast-moving runoff can impact streams and rivers by increasing flooding, eroding streambanks, and removing habitat features aquatic species rely on.

To make matters worse, in many older cities stormwater is diverted to storm drains, where it is normally transported along with raw sewage to wastewater facilities for treatment prior to being discharged to water bodies. However, as development increases impervious cover, and as heavy storms have increased in frequency and intensity worldwide in the last 50 years, the capacity of sewer systems is often exceeded. As a result, untreated sewage and stormwater are discharged into nearby streams and rivers, where they can be toxic to fish, plants, and other aquatic species. More than 750 US cities have sewage systems that overflow into nearby waterways during large storms, translating to an estimated 10 trillion gallons of untreated water polluting waterways each year.

There are efforts at the city and community scales to combat stormwater runoff by using best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs treat, prevent, or reduce water pollution. However, you are part of the solution as well-to celebrate June being National Rivers Month, here are some ways you can make an impact.

Reduce stormwater pollutants:

Don't litter, and never dump anything down storm drains or into streams and rivers. Consider recycling, composting, and removing trash from driveways, sidewalks, and gutters.

Clean up pet waste and keep animals out of streams and rivers to reduce bacterial and nutrient pollution.

Follow labels when applying lawn chemicals, and use fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides sparingly. Consider using less toxic pesticides or organic fertilizers-see EPA's Safer Choice Program to find products that are safer you and your family.

Watch the weather. Don't apply chemicals to dormant lawns or frozen ground, and don't apply fertilizers before a rainstorm.

When maintaining your car, check for leaks and recycle motor oil. Clean up oil spills and leaks on the driveway. When it's time for a wash, consider taking your car to a commercial car wash, where the water will be recycled. If you wash your car at home, wash it on your lawn.

Have your septic tank pumped and your septic system inspected regularly.

Reduce stormwater volume:

Consider reducing the amount of polluted water that runs off your property by directing downspouts onto gravel, vegetated areas (like grass, plant beds, and rain gardens), or into rain barrels rather than driveways or sidewalks.

Use porous surfaces like mulch, bricks, gravel, or permeable pavement in place of asphalt or concrete for walkways, patios, and driveways. These materials improve water infiltration.

Plant trees or preserve existing ones-trees hold rainfall and help manage stormwater.

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Next time it rains, observe how water flows once it hits the ground. If you live in an urban area, chances are water has trouble penetrating the ground when it rains where you live. Learn how you can help reduce the impact of polluted runoff on US river and stream health.

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Stormwater sneaks up on the Seattle region so innocently, as rain droplets falling through the misty air, but when it hits the ground, it picks up bacteria from lawn fertilizers, copper from break pad deposits, oil from vehicle emissions and other pollutants that become deadly to salmon and Orcas when they trickle into Puget Sound. That's why we partnered with Washington State University to solve stormwater issues surrounding our urban cities.

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The Aurora Bridge during a rainstorm. 2.3 million gallons of highly polluted stormwater runoff rolls off the north end of this bridge annually. © Heather Van Steenburgh

Stories in Washington

In Puget Sound, we're making cities more resilient and livable by developing green infrastructure and natural solutions to pollution.

It's another rainy day in Seattle. In the city's Fremont neighborhood, stormwater flows off the Aurora Bridge, which spans the waterway that connects urban Lake Union to Puget Sound. The stormwater, which fell as rain, is now laden with chemicals and metals from rubber tires, brakes, motor oils, antifreeze and other sources.

Every year, 2.3 million gallons of highly polluted stormwater runoff rolls off the north end of this one bridge into the Fremont neighborhood. It seems destined to contaminate the water below-a key route for migrating salmon-and end up in Puget Sound.

In fact, an astounding 75 percent of the toxic chemicals that enter Puget Sound come from stormwater runoff. Our data show that there are 359,500 acres of impervious surface in the Puget Sound, or about 560 square miles. That's more than 272,300 football fields of asphalt, concrete and metal where rainwater washes off without being taken up by trees or seeping slowly into the ground.

Just one acre of pavement can put a million gallons of polluted runoff into Puget Sound each year. And in urban waters like Lake Union, stormwater may kill up to 80 percent of migrating coho salmon before they have had a chance to spawn-significantly higher than the 1 percent mortality rate that occurrs naturally for pre-spawn salmon.

Creating Better Cities, Naturally

At TNC in Washington, we know that our cities, habitat and salmon are profoundly connected by water, from those hallmark rains to our rivers and Puget Sound. We understand that by improving how people, development, water and natural infrastructure interact, we can have a positive, powerful impact on water quality, salmon and our own lives.

Through our Cities program, we're forging partnerships and promoting strategies that improve water quality as it flows through our urban places. For example, our research partners have demonstrated that simply passing stormwater through natural material like sand and compost filters out many toxins, restoring water to a safe, clean quality that supports salmon. This "green infrastructure," incorporated into cities as rain gardens, swales and thoughtfully designed diversion and filtering structures, also do double duty as green spaces where city dwellers can bask in a slice of nearby nature. That is proven to have wide-ranging benefits for mental health as well as physical wellness.

Puget Sound is growing fast: More than 80,000 new people move here every year. Now is the time to plan for the future, making our cities better for Puget Sound, salmon and people. Two inspiring projects are examples of how we are doing just that.

Clean Water Under the Bridge

Fremont, the lively, funky neighborhood surrounding the Aurora Bridge, buzzes with coffee shops, breweries and thriving software companies. Developer Mark Grey of Stephen C. Grey & Associates was just beginning work on a new office building there when he saw a video about the devastating effect untreated storm water has on salmon.

Grey wanted to help. With the proposed new building located directly beneath the Aurora Bridge, he realized he was in a unique position to make a difference. Grey contacted Salmon Safe -a certification and accreditation program for new buildings, farms, wineries and other development to ensure land-management practices that protect watersheds-to explore how the new building could help protect waterways.

With help from TNC and Salmon Safe, developer, architects and engineers were able to navigate the complex permitting and regulatory process that allowed them to divert stormwater runoff from the Aurora Bridge into a series of cascading raingardens along the new building. In addition to such surface features, the project also involved rerouting downspouts from the bridge, installing an underground holding vault to capture excess runoff and additional public utility, cost and design components.

The project-which is at the intersection of transportation, surface-water runoff, green infrastructure and building design-blazes the permitting and regulatory trail. This is a success story for how TNC and partners can forge public-private solutions to break policy roadblocks and accelerate change.

After three phases of green-infrastructure development, the Aurora Bridge project will filter and treat 2.3 million gallons of heavily polluted runoff annually to high standards of water quality. It also provides a welcoming natural environment for residents and workers.

Remove Pavement, Discover Roots

Just south of Seattle, in the city of Kent, rain no longer flows unchecked across a cracked asphalt parking lot. Instead, rainwater collected in cisterns waters a flourishing community garden, where immigrants and refugees from all over the world find a renewed connection to the soil, to their culinary roots and to each other.

The transformation from pavement to community garden was fast. With leadership from refugee resettlement organization World Relief Seattle, generous donation of the unused parking lot by Kent Hillside Church and support from partners including TNC, it took just months. More than 1,000 volunteers removed the 20,000-square-foot parking lot and built a community garden in its place.

The Hillside Paradise Parking Plots garden boasts 50 separate plots, four 4,000-gallon cisterns, a tool shed and a blossoming community centered on gardening, culturally familiar foods and a connection to the soil. Now the garden is looking to complete its rain gardens and bioswale to capture more of the water flowing across the parking lot and plant trees to shade the plots.

Of course, converting pavement to a runoff-filtering garden has great trickle-down benefits for water, habitat and salmon as well. The rain garden will collect and filter stormwater runoff from 90,000 square feet of surrounding streets and parking lots. It's also an island of cool that helps reduce urban heat. In this inspiring place, solutions to stormwater runoff intersect with human wellness in the best possible way.

Reimagining Our Cities

Puget Sound's cities, communities, rivers and sound and iconic salmon are deeply connected through water. Yet, stormwater runoff is one of the greatest threats to the health of this fast-growing region.

By designing our cities to function more like forests, where rain percolates into soil for a filtering effect, we can help solve our stormwater problems. Using green infrastructure and the power of partnerships, we are re-imagining Puget Sound's urban places as good for nature-and good for people.

Donate to Support TNC's Cities Work in Washington

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Finding Solutions for Puget Sound Cities and Salmon

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Stories in Washington In Puget Sound, we're making cities more resilient and livable by developing green infrastructure and natural solutions to pollution. It's another rainy day in Seattle. In the city's Fremont neighborhood, stormwater flows off the Aurora Bridge, which spans the waterway that connects urban Lake Union to Puget Sound.

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Orca Network   "Connecting whales and people in the Pacific Northwest"

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Orca Network   "Connecting whales and people in the Pacific Northwest"

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Orca Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.

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Orca Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.

A beluga whale has been swimming around the inland waterways of Central Puget Sound since at least Sunday, October 3.

A beluga in Puget Sound screenshot from October 3 in Commencement Bay

Report sightings to the NOAA West Coast Region Stranding Hotline: 1-866-767-6114 or to our Whale Sighting Network at (360) 331-3543 or toll-free at (866) ORCANET (672-2638); or email info@orcanetwork.org and cc: alisa@orcanetwork.org.

Got questions? See the video and learn more about the beluga in Puget Sound in ourBeluga Q and A

Meet Katie Watkins, Assistant Manager for Orca Network's Langley Whale Center! Katie talks about the changes for us all during the COVID 19 pandemic, and how we can stay in touch to carry on our educational services in these changing times. She shares some great ideas for families and whale lovers wanting to stay involved with the whales, the Whale Center, and Orca Network ~ thanks Katie!
The Langley Whale Center virtual tour.

Orca Network's Orca Month Webinar Series - Orcas Inspire Us - June 1, 2020
Our first in a series of webinars celebrating Orca Action Month through the month of June. Ken Balcomb from the Center for Whale Research tells the history of Orca Survey from the 1970s to present, the role of males in orca matrilines, the pressing need to restore native salmon habitat, including Snake River dam removal, and who he would most like to talk to about it. Howard Garrett describes the main obstacles to retiring Tokitae and Susan Berta from Orca Network discussed the history and inspiration of Orca Month. The webinar includes questions to the panelists.Video link.

June 8 –Our Orcas Live in Toxic Waters.

Orca Network's second in a series of webinars as part of Orca Action Month 2020 took place June 8 to discuss contaminants in Southern Resident orcas and how we can all do our part to reduce toxic pollution. Participants are Teresa Lawson - NOAA, Alyssa Barton - Puget Soundkeeper, Nancy Uding - Toxic Free Future, and Mindy Roberts - Washington Environmental Council. The full webinar can be seenHERE.

June 15 –Our Orcas Live in Noisy Waters.

Orca Network's third in a series of webinars as part of Orca Action Month 2020 took place June 15 to discuss shipping traffic and underwater noise disturbance with Scott Veirs from OrcaSound and Rick Huey and Adrienne Stutes from Washington State Ferries. The full webinar can be seenHERE.

June 22nd –Our Orcas are Hungry

Orca Network's fourth webinar as part of Orca Action Month 2020 was June 22, about the intertwined fates of Southern Resident orcas and salmon. The full webinar can be seenHERE.

June 29th –Spyhoppy Hour - Join us for a fun informal get together to celebrate the Southern Resident orcas. Bring your beverage of choice, watch some Southern Resident orca videos and share your favorite orca photos and stories. We'll even have a virtual silent auction with fun whale items!
RegisterHere.

Live on or near the waterfront? We need your whale reports/photos! Learn more, including how to report your sightings from KOMO'sResearchers seek help from waterfront residents for whale sightings. To sign up for Orca Network's regular compilation of whale sightings reports, please go to Sign up for Sightings Reports. More about whale sighting under the Sightings tab above.

2020 Orca Network Ways of Whales Workshop

To thank you for your support, volunteer time, whale sightings, and being a part of Orca Network, here is a short video produced by John Gussman to help us all take a look back at the year.

Orca Network Video

Very sad to report the loss of L41 Mega, as reported by the Center for Whale Research from an encounter with several matrilines of L pod in Haro Strait on January 24th, 2020.
L41 is missing and presumed to have died sometime since the last time he was photographed on August 11 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
L41 was the oldest Southern Resident male at 42 years old, born in 1977, the year after field studies on Southern Resident orcas began in 1976. We will include a tribute with photos and more on L41 Mega in a future report. The Southern Resident Killer Whale population has dropped to 72 as of January, 2019.
Please see CWR's report for more information and photos.
On August 24, the South Whidbey Record published an article about the three most recent orca mortalities, J17, K25, and L84: Hope dwindles as resident orcas disappear
That prompted a followup oped for The Record:Efforts rekindle hope for South Resident orcas

August 6, 2019 - Center for Whale Reserch Media Release:
The Southern Resident Killer Whale population has dropped to 73 as of July 1, 2019
We are saddened to report that three adult killer whales (orca) are missing and presumed dead as of July 1, 2019. These whales are from the extremely endangered Southern Resident killer whale population, that historically frequent the Salish Sea almost daily in summer months. Due to the scarcity of suitable Chinook salmon prey, this population of whales now rarely visit the core waters of its designated Critical Habitat: Puget Sound, Georgia Strait, and the inland reach of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The missing whales are J17 Princess Angeline, K25 Scoter, and L84 Nyssa.

Dammed to Extinction is an informative, educational, and entertaining film.
This eye-opening documentary explores the burning controversy over how to restore the dammed Snake River, potentially the most productive salmon spawning watershed left in the world, and how we can help Southern Resident orcas find food and survive.
Four obsolete dams choke off access to thousands of miles of wilderness rivers and streams. Removing these unnecessary dams will save money, salmon and orcas.

Our Sacred Sea

Lummi Nation has been called to bring Lolita, a killer whale stolen from the Salish Sea in 1970, back home. Lolita, also called Tokitae, has been held at the Miami Seaquarium for the past 47 years. The Lummi word for killer whale is Qwe 'lhol mechen which means "our relations below the waves.". We consider blackfish to be our kin, and we consider families to be sacred. It is our duty to bring Tokitae home. Moreover, Tokitae is an ambassador for the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is our sacred sea, and it is our obligation to help protect and restore the ecosystems, cultures, and communities of this place.

Find the latest news on the campaign and the rehabilitation and retirement plan to
return Tokitae/Lolita to her home waters.

Snake River wild chinook - so crucial for the survival of Southern Resident orcas - are in severe decline. The quickest way to bring back abundant runs is described in a new white paper on Columbia basin chinook, called The Case for Breaching the Four Lower Snake River Dams to Recover Wild Snake River Salmon.

Puget Sound Land-Based Whale Sighting View Points
The Southern Resident orcas often forage in Puget Sound during fall months in search of chum salmon, and mammal-eating Transient orcas, or Bigg's Killer Whales, may visit in search of seals, sea lions and porpoises any time of year. To help observers find good locations to view the whales Orca Network has assembled the best viewing spots between Anacortes and Olympia into a google map that can be zoomed in to find directions to each beach, roadside, or bluff for optimum viewing. If you live near Puget Sound, Possession Sound, Saratoga Passage, Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet, or Fidalgo Island, you can find the best whale-watching spots near you by clickingHERE.

The Langley Whale Center opened March 1, 2014.
Check out the Langley Whale Center Facebook page.

n extended clan of Orcinus orca, or orcas, socialize and forage in the inland waters of Washington State and British Columbia. Both male and female offspring remain with their mothers their entire lives. No other species, and not all orca communities, show lifetime association of mothers with both male and female offspring. Cultural traditions such as lifetime family bonding allow distinct vocal repertoires and complex social systems to develop within each pod and community, unlike any other mammal except humans. Their dialects are similar to human language groups, and assure them a place in their society. Known as the Southern Resident Orca community, or the Salish Sea Orcas, they move gracefully just downstream from an increasingly urban landscape.

Worldwide field studies are now showing that there are several dozen orca communities distributed throughout marine habitats, each with its own vocal repertoire, its own specialized diet, its own hunting methods and social systems, and each is genetically distinct from all the others. We are on the verge of recognition by the scientific community that orcas can be considered as nomadic foraging tribes, living according to traditions passed down generation after generation, for many thousands of years.

But all is not well. Orcas need clean, uncontaminated water and plentiful fish. Chinook salmon, the Salish Sea orcas' main food source, are in historic decline throughout the region. Habitat degradation, industrial poisons such as PCBs, PBDEs and other impacts of human activities are taking their toll on the orcas we have come to know and love. We are all intricately connected, from tiny plankton to forage fish, salmon, orcas, tall firs and cedars, mountains, rivers and the ocean. It is time to reflect, to reconnect, and to respond as better caretakers of our planet.

Looking for an informative and readable essay on the natural history of orcas?
Go toOrcas of the Salish Sea.

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Orca Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats. A beluga whale has been swimming around the inland waterways of Central Puget Sound since at least Sunday, October 3.

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Members of Pierce Conservation District's Habitat team took a walk with Erik McDonald from UW Tacoma to survey salmon in Swan Creek. Erik and other researchers have been studying pre-spawn mortality of Coho salmon in urban streams. Join us on this virtual walk and see what we found!

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Reporting on Salmon and Habitat in Washington

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Reporting on Salmon and Habitat in Washington

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This Web site reports on the state of salmon in Washington watersheds, both the achievements and challenges, statewide and regionally.

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2020 Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor & Islands Watershed Report Card

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2020 Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor & Islands Watershed Report Card

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2020 Puyallup River Watershed Report Card

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2020 Puyallup River Watershed Report Card

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2020 Nisqually River Watershed Report Card

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2020 Nisqually River Watershed Report Card

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2020 Chambers-Clover  Watershed Report Card

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2020 Chambers-Clover  Watershed Report Card

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2020 Chambers-Clover watershed health report

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Join Orcas Love Raingardens and pitch in at Wainwright School's educational rain gardens this Orca Recovery Day. Rain gardens help keep toxic runoff away from endangered orcas and the salmon they rely on. We'll be digging and pulling weeds, so please wear long pants and clothes you can get dirty.

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Ranking Risks to Water Quality in Washington State

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Ranking Risks to Water Quality in Washington State

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Three orcas from the Southern Resident population in Washington state's Puget Sound area are presumed dead after being missing for several months, the Center for Whale Research recently reported. The troubling news comes on the heels of a UN report warning that one-eighth of the world's plant and animal species face extinction due to human causes. Despite that dire report, this week the Trump administration finalized sweeping rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act, further imperiling endangered and threatened species like the Puget Sound orcas. Earthjustice attorney Patti Goldman, who has been working to protect these orcas for more than a decade, explains why the orcas are so special, and how we can help protect orcas by taking down harmful dams and safeguarding salmon - the orcas' main food source.
Why are orcas so special?

One of the wonderful parts of working for Earthjustice is that you learn about the science as well as the law. One thing that really stuck with me is that orcas are one of the few species that are matrilineal. The mothers, the grandmothers and the granddaughters all stay together.

They're also one of the few species that has post-reproductive females. (So do humans and elephants.) Scientists have tried to figure out what role post-reproductive females play in terms of evolution and survival. For most species, the reproduction function, the rearing the young, is the role females play in the population's survival. But for the orcas, it's also passing down knowledge.

Why is the Puget Sound orca population declining?

The home range of these orcas is further south than many others, so they are more accessible to people than other orcas. The Salish Sea's orcas were the ones targeted for live capture for the Sea Worlds, which decimated their population in the 1960s and 1970s. About a third of them were captured or were killed.

The live capture practice ended when one of our clients, former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, was on a boat with his wife and they found themselves in the middle of a live capture. They could hear the babies wailing as their mothers were captured and vice versa. That was a very pivotal moment. Munro, who was then a member of the state legislature, soon after became the lead proponent of a law banning live capture in Washington state waters.

The second decline occurred in the 1980s. There weren't enough orcas of reproductive age because so many of them had been taken during the live capture.

The third decline is when Earthjustice got involved. In the 1990s there was a 20 percent decline, and the population was down to 78 individuals. This time, the orcas were declining because there wasn't enough food (salmon) - and the food that did exist was often toxic. The situation had become a crisis, and it became clear that the orcas needed the protections of the Endangered Species Act.

How did Earthjustice go about getting Puget Sound orcas protected?

Earthjustice filed a lawsuit in 2002 when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) refused to protect the orcas under the act. Everyone agreed that their numbers were far too low, placing the orcas at risk of extinction. They desperately needed protection for their prey. There was no dispute about that. But the agency decided this population of orcas wasn't a separate population eligible for the law's protection. NOAA said the orcas are one worldwide species and that there were enough other orcas elsewhere in the world.

The problem is that the scientists universally disagreed with that assessment. There are technically three subspecies (which means they're likely separate enough to be considered separate species) of orcas. One eats marine mammals. They tend to be bigger and travel over much wider ranges in smaller hunting groups. Another "offshore" type, which we know comparably little about, that ply the open ocean hunting sharks and other fish in large groups. Then there are the fish-eating resident orcas, like our orcas in the Salish Sea. They're different genetically, they're different in terms of their body sizes and types, in what they eat, their language, and their behaviors - all of the kinds of measures that scientists use to determine whether a population is a separate species. Back in 1758, Carl Linnaeus, who was the father of taxonomy, classified orcas as one species. NOAA tried to lock them in that designation for all time.

We went to court. The judge reviewed this evidence and determined that the agency's refusal to list orcas violated the Endangered Species Act, which requires that decisions be made on the best science. Instead, the agency was relying on science that its scientific reviewers found to be outdated, inaccurate, and superseded by current knowledge. The Puget Sound orcas were finally listed as endangered in 2005.

How does our work to protect salmon also protect Puget Sound orcas?

Orcas need to eat a lot of salmon to survive. Their favorite food is chinook or king salmon, the fattest of the salmon species. But many king salmon populations are also on the endangered species list. We are working across the west coast to restore salmon populations by restoring habitat, removing barriers, and keeping water in salmon rivers, including in the Skagit River, the Klamath River, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.

Scientists say one of the best things we can do to increase salmon abundance for orcas is to take out four failing, outdated and costly dams on the lower Snake River that limit salmon migration and reduce the number of salmon available to orcas during critical winter months when they leave Puget Sound in search of food. Removing these dams, even though they are far from the Salish Sea, would open up hundreds of miles of free-flowing waterways, restoring safe passage to and from the imperiled wild salmon's spawning habitat in central Idaho, boosting salmon production and affording more prey for the orcas. We've been fighting for two decades to take down these dams and restore these abundant salmon runs. In 2016, we were joined by more than a quarter million people who registered comments calling for the dams to come down.

How else is Earthjustice protecting Puget Sound orcas?

We're doing a lot, including:

Reducing toxic contamination of their food supply. Orcas are at the top of the food chain, so they get toxic contamination through their prey. After one of the orcas passed away, our client Ralph Munro wanted to bury the orca on his farm. He was told he would need a toxic waste permit to do so because there was so much contamination in the blubber.

Earthjustice has been identifying the key sources of toxic contamination, either to the orcas themselves or to their prey. The number one source of new toxic pollution is stormwater runoff. We've been working for many years now to try to force better management of that runoff, particularly in urban areas. We won a case that says that low impact development like using green roofs and rain barrels is the best technology and the best means of avoiding toxic runoff. That's a nationwide precedent.

Challenging flood plain development. This type of development eliminates a lot of habitat for salmon and therefore the prey of orcas. We've also worked to minimize toxic runoff from highways.

Banning pesticides and other chemicals like flame retardants. These chemicals are persistent and bioaccumulative, and their use should be limited along salmon streams. As with so many toxic chemicals, flame retardants and nerve gas pesticides are harmful to both people and orcas. In fact, late last year, NOAA found that chlorpyrifos is likely to jeopardize the survival and recovery of Puget Sound chinook and by extension, of the orcas who feed on the chinook.

Opposing the TransMountain pipeline. One of the biggest threats to the orcas would be a catastrophic oil spill and yet Canada is poised to increase dramatically the shipments of tar sands through the Salish Sea. We represent several Salish Sea Tribes in opposing the Transmountain pipeline and seeking navigational safeguards, equivalent to the rules of the road, to reduce oil spill risks.

Any final thoughts?

The situation has become urgent. We are redoubling our efforts and looking for ways to reduce vessel noise that interrupts feeding and to rebuild other Chinook salmon runs. When the three pods return here in the summer, they do a ritual where they line up by pod and welcome each other. That is when the scientists do the annual census. While this ritual has brought joy to so many over the years, we now await the count in fear that another whale has not made it back. We are committed to doing everything we can to avoid another act of excruciating grieving like what we have witnessed this year.
This blog was originally published August 2, 2018. It was adapted from a podcast interview with Patti Goldman in 2011.

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Puget Sound Orcas are Dying - Latest Sign of Nature's Decline

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Three orcas from the Southern Resident population in Washington state's Puget Sound area are presumed dead after being missing for several months, the Center for Whale Research recently reported. The troubling news comes on the heels of a UN report warning that one-eighth of the world's plant and animal species face extinction due to human causes.

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Discover new and exciting facts about salmon and other creatures at Swan Creek this Fall while playing an Agents of Discovery Mission.

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Agents of Discovery mobile app motivates kids to explore outdoors!

Perfect for families looking to spend time outdoors, Agents of Discovery is a free, educational app to get youth active, engaged and learning about the world around them.

Challenges (or questions) are geo-triggered as participants walk the trail. The game is free to download and once downloaded does not require any data or WiFi to play. Download Agents of Discovery at Google Play or the App Store.

Current missions can be found at the Tacoma Nature Center, Wright Park, Swan Creek (Pioneer entrance) and Titlow Park.

Did you know that there is an easy way for players with reading disabilities or visual impairments to enjoy the Missions? Find out how in the " Tips for Playing " below.
Tips for Playing Missions

Download the app and the Mission you want to play while you are at home or anywhere with wifi. Then you will not need to use any data while visiting the park.

You can turn on the text to speech feature by going into Settings in the app. There is a Play/Stop button which will appear on the corner of every dialog box which will allow you to mute the audio if needed.

This same Settings screen allows you to change the unit of measure and turn on the power saver mode.

Use the Diagnostics button on the Settings screen to confirm whether or not your phone supports components of the game or are disabled.

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Agents of Discovery - Metro Parks Tacoma

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Agents of Discovery mobile app motivates kids to explore outdoors! Perfect for families looking to spend time outdoors, Agents of Discovery is a free, educational app to get youth active, engaged and learning about the world around them. Challenges (or questions) are geo-triggered as participants walk the trail.

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The WaterWay                        Puyallup River Watershed Council Newsletter  

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The WaterWay                        Puyallup River Watershed Council Newsletter  

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When the Port of Vancouver USA's Mary Mattix and Matt Graves first invented the Grattix - a homemade contraption to clean stormwater runoff - they were hoping to reduce the amount of zinc pollution coming from rooftops at their facility.

But the popularity and success of the device, which works like a rain garden in a box, has been catching on both at the Port and at industrial sites across the region recently. In tests, the Grattix has shown it can reduce zinc runoff by up to 95% and copper by 85%. And University of Oregon students are now working to tweak the device to remove even more contaminants.

"It works similar to a bioretention facility," said Graves, the Port's environmental manager. "It uses wetland-type plants and a bioretention soil mix with sand and compost at various ratios. The plants uptake the contaminants (like zinc), and the sand filters super fine sediments - although sometimes the plants uptake all of it and there's no contaminant left."

The whole thing works especially well when you consider the idea started off as one of Mary Mattix's dreams.

When Mattix and Graves first went about the task, they looked at commercially available products, but nothing met their demands. Then, in 2008, Mattix dreamed that they built a rain garden in a barrel, and she told Graves about it.

"I came in, expressed my idea to Matt and we made one," Mattix said. "And we found it was not only good for zinc, but good for copper as well."

A pilot study from 2008 to 2011 showed 90 to 95% zinc reduction using the system, and another looking at copper found it reduced that contaminant by 85%.

"It really depends on the loading and how much copper you have going in, and how that's dissolved," Graves said.

The Port and many industries use zinc to protect rooftops from rust and degradation. But zinc hurts fish in local rivers and can suffocate them when it gets into their gills. The two invented the Grattix, which is a combination of their last names, because the Port needed to find a way to stop it from running off into the river during storms.

"At the Port you'll learn zinc is great for some things, but not so great for the fish," Mattix said. "We wanted to figure out how to protect the fish and also beat the state environmental requirements."

A homemade contraption to clean stormwater runoff, the Grattix works like a rain garden in a box, and has been catching on at the Port of Vancouver USA and at industrial sites across the region. Courtesy of the Port of Vancouver USA

The rain garden in a box is made in a food grade plastic 275-gallon drum filled in with rocks and other materials. The bottom layer consists of 12 inches of two-to-three-inch-sized coarse rock. On top of that, perforated PVC piping allows for draining out to a valve at the bottom. The PVC piping is then covered with more coarse rock, and a window screen on top to cover it. Then the first window screen is covered with six inches of pea-sized gravel, and another window screen in placed on top of that.

Then, 20 inches of bioretention soil covers the second screen, made up of about 40% compost and 60% sand. Plants like rushes and sedges are then placed in the soil and covered with three inches of bark mulch. And at the top, a few rocks are added to the display to prevent splashing.
The whole system is then placed below downspouts from the Port's rooftops.

"We have expanded them here at the Port," Mattix said, noting they started out with about eight of them 10 years ago. "We have 27 of them in place today and we have other people using them across the country."

The success of the Grattix has led to a handful of local and even national groups and companies using the invention, including Precision Cast Parts in Clackamas, a lumber mill in Alaska, a boat trailer company in Spokane and the Washington State Fairgrounds in King County, Graves said.

The Clark County Green Business Program also has a certification process that includes building a Grattix.

And the pair worked with the Washington Stormwater Center, which is a collaboration between Washington State University and the University of Washington, to create a video about the Grattix, which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/COib6WLxTNE.

"We want to make sure people have access to do this themselves," Mattix said. "The Port as a public agency has a goal to get this into as many hands as possible, because it does work."

More recently the pair began working with Oregon State University ecological engineering students, who have been tweaking the engineering of the Grattix for potential use against other contaminants.

"OSU ecological engineering students were challenged to make these and then address a water quality problem and tweak them," Mattix said.

John Selker, a distinguished professor at Oregon State University, has spearheaded that effort, using the Grattix as part of a project for seniors in OSU's new Ecological Engineering Program.

Senior students last year tweaked the Grattix for other purposes for the first time, and students this year will continue that work, he said.

"We were looking for a project that had plants, soil, contaminants, design, all those things," Selker said. "The folks at the Port had done some really nice work, but they weren't engineers, more geologists I think. So we thought, what if we bring engineering into this?"
The students wanted to look at the target contaminants of copper and zinc, but also to create a modular system that could be used for a variety of purposes, such as treating plant nursery runoff or waste from restaurants or landfills.

Students broke into eight teams, with two teams working on each issue. They designed new units using components like activated charcoal and shrimp shells (a source of calcium carbonate). And during the process, Mattix and Graves came twice to visit the students and talk to them, Selker said.

As for the student's success on the first go-around? It varied, but was promising, Selker said.

"Several of the systems worked quite well, but it turned out some of the soils we used had contaminants of their own," Selker said. "It's a learning curve. They learned that testing the materials they used first would be very beneficial."

This year the students will build on the work of those in last year's class, analyzing the designs and trying to improve them, Selker said.

"Some say they don't want to work on somebody else's design, but this is really a learning exercise for the class, and that's actually good preparation for the real world," Selker said. "And we've heard good feedback from employers about our students."

The Port uses recycled food-grade IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) - often corn syrup containers - to make the plastic exterior of the Grattix. Food-grade containers are good because they don't have any industrial contaminants in them prior to use.

"We take them, cut the tops off and treat them like a rain barrel, but with a rain garden," Mattix said.

They cost about $800 for the Port to build because the Port adds wood planks around plastic containers and does some other things to beautify them, Graves said.

"We make them a little nicer," Graves said. "We went for an old supply crate look, so we spent a little extra money."

Do-it-yourselfers could probably do a stripped-down version for about $200, Graves added.

The only part that needs maintenance is the bark mulch, which must be replaced each year. The units themselves can last up to 30 years before they need replacing.

"To study that we took our original Grattix from 2009, sampled all the layers, then took similar samples from the one we built in 2012 and a brand new one, so we could see how things were breaking down," Graves said. "Basically, it showed a lot of the contaminants are getting trapped in the top layer."

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'A rain garden in a box' - Vancouver Business Journal

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When the Port of Vancouver USA's Mary Mattix and Matt Graves first invented the Grattix - a homemade contraption to clean stormwater runoff - they were hoping to reduce the amount of zinc pollution coming from rooftops at their facility.

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Easy practices for healthy lawns, healthy families and a healthy environment

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The Road to 700 Million Gallons-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Report 2020

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The Road to 700 Million Gallons-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Report 2020

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Runoff to lakes, rivers, and creeks is now one of the leading sources of pollution in Puget Sound. Bringing nature back into the built environment helps urban areas manage stormwater more like forests and pasture. Local, regional and state organizations have been partnering for the last decade to develop more of these natural solutions to managing stormwater, collectively known as “green stormwater infrastructure” (GSI)

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Ready to do your part for #PugetSound water quality? 

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Ready to do your part for #PugetSound water quality? 

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If you are a business or organization in Pierce County, check out @salmonsafe Puget Sound Pledge. It’s a no-cost opportunity to commit to action for Puget Sound. http://pugetsoundpledge.org #raingarden #stormwater #pugetsoundstartshere

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Puyallup Watershed Salmon Homecoming is making an impact in the The People's Ecochallenge!

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Ecochallenge.org's social change platform + curriculum connect a global community of advocates and changemakers, each doing what we can, in ways that are most relevant to us, to make this great spinning dot we call home a healthier, more equitable, more sustainable place. Welcome to The People's Ecochallenge!

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Tracking Young Steelhead with acoustic tags

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Tracking Young Steelhead with acoustic tags

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A NOAA Fisheries scientist surgically implants an acoustic tag into a juvenile steelhead. The fish is out-migrating from Big Beef Creek on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. Only a small percentage of juvenile steelhead will survive to the Pacific Ocean. Data received from this fish, and others, will allow Long Live the Kings and our partners to better understand why Juvenile salmon and steelhead are dying  in the Salish Sea. Learn more at MarineSurvivalProject.com

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Survive the Sound- free interactive online game 

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Survive the Sound- free interactive online game 

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Pick your favorite fish, join a team, and compete to see whose team has the most surviving fish over the 5 day migration from May 3-7. The larger your team, the better your odds of winning! During the migration, you’ll be able to check your team’s standing and see your fish’s progress on an online map. Along the way, you’ll learn more about these miraculous fish!
Survive the Sound is a new interactive game that hopes to both educate the public about the salmons’ plight and help save the fish by raising money for essential research and environmental restoration

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My steelhead can beat your steelhead - that's why I'm picking the best fish to #SurviveTheSound. Who do you think will make it to the Pacific? Sponsor a fish, save a species.

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Long Live the Kings-Where to See Salmon in Washington State

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Long Live the Kings-Where to See Salmon in Washington State

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Viewing a salmon run in the Pacific Northwest is a powerful experience. We’ve put together this list of salmon watching locations from organizations around Washington State, so you can see this epic migration in your own community.

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Viewing a salmon run in the Pacific Northwest is a powerful experience. We've put together this list of salmon watching locations from organizations around Washington State, so you can see this epic migration in your own community. Don't see your favorite public viewing spot here? Let us know so we can add it!

Tips for Salmon Viewing

Give salmon space, and stay out of the stream. They are working hard, and if you're near the spawning grounds, the streambed may already contain redds (nests of salmon eggs). Walking in the water disturbs the fish and can kill the eggs.

Polarized sunglasses can make it easier to see fish in the water.

Learn about the different species and their behavior. The local organizations below have great resources. You can also find an identification guide from Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife here.

Observe the whole environment. Is the streambed rocks, sand, gravel, or a combination? Are there trees shading the water? What's the weather like? What other animals do you see using this habitat? How much human influence can you see?

Bring the experience home by taking action. We have 10 ways you can help save salmon, from building a healthier environment, to contributing to science, to sharing your salmon love with your friends, family, and leaders. Many of the links below also have ways you can volunteer for salmon recovery!

P.S. Salmon viewing can be an at-home experience too! Watch salmon returning to the Issaquah Hatchery on their live feed here. And you can join our Hood Canal steelhead underwater any time at LLTK's livestreaming Fish Camera!

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Where to See Salmon in Washington State - Long Live The Kings

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Viewing a salmon run in the Pacific Northwest is a powerful experience. We've put together this list of salmon watching locations from organizations around Washington State, so you can see this epic migration in your own community. Don't see your favorite public viewing spot here? Let us know so we can add it!

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Fall is Salmon Homecoming Season!  Find Salmon Spawning and Share Salmon Sightings

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Fall is Salmon Homecoming Season!  Find Salmon Spawning and Share Salmon Sightings

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Salmonid species observations in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea including spawning adults, juveniles, redds, and salmon carcasses.

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Salmonid species observations in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea including spawning adults, juveniles, redds, and salmon carcasses. While this collection was created by partners of the annual Puyallup Watershed Salmon Homecoming Celebration, it is open to and includes all watersheds draining to the Salish Sea watershed.

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Team Captain Toolkit_ The People's Ecochallenge 2021

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Learn about new features in this year's The People's Ecochallenge!

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Orca Recovery Day-Join us this October 16th, 2021!

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Orca Recovery Day-Join us this October 16th, 2021!

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When it comes to the fight for our orcas, we all have something to bring to the table.  Find and event near you.
https://betterground.org/in-your-community/events/ord/partner-events-throughout-the-region/

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We Are Better Ground Orca Recovery Day When it comes to the fight for our orcas, we all have something to bring to the table. In 2018, the world watched as Tahlequah, a Southern Resident Killer Whale, carried her dead calf for 17 days, travelling almost 1,000 miles off the Pacific Northwest coast before letting [...]

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This 2020 State of Our Watersheds Report documents environmental conditions and tracks trends to hold us all accountable to the need for urgent action to protect our region’s watersheds and their habitats.

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The goals of Shadow of the Salmon are to inspire tribal/non-tribal team spirit in environmental education, protection, and restoration, and to help students understand indigenous history, culture and management programs as they learn to tell their own story about their connection with Nature.
Shadow of the Salmon is written from a traditional cultural perspective to enable students and teachers to learn about an assortment of environmental issues of concern to tribal communities. Native cultural elements permeate the film and the resource guide, and students will learn—from the tribal point of view—the importance of caring for, respecting and living in harmony with Mother Earth.

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One With the Watershed: A Salmon Homecoming Story-based Curriculum For Primary Environmental Education

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One With the Watershed: A Salmon Homecoming Story-based Curriculum For Primary Environmental Education

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"This curriculum, through its stories, its message of joining with the rest of the watershed, its hands-on activities and its games, supports the idea that all of us are MEANT TO BE HERE.
We are all ONE WITH THE WATERSHED. "
-Billy Frank, Jr.

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Salmon One With the Watershed story based curriculum

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Orca Recovery Day Work Party at Dead Man's Pond(Puyallup)

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Dead Man's Pond Work Party (Puyallup)   October 16, 9am-12pm

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Dead Man's Pond Work Party (Puyallup)   October 16, 9am-12pm

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Join the YESS (Youth Engaged in Sustainable Solutions) network at this event. Register here

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Dead Man's Pond Work Party

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Come help us restore this valuable habitat and community green space along the Puyallup Loop Trail! Must pre-register to attend.

For your safety and comfort please bring:

Clothing that can get dirty

Long pants and sleeves

Sturdy shoes (closed toed shoes required, no sandals or flats)

Rain gear and warm layers (the event will happen rain or shine)

Full water bottle!

What will volunteers be doing at the event?

While the exact tasks at hand vary, our projects focus on improving the open spaces, forests, and parks in our local cities. Healthy ecosystems and thriving forests are vital to our community because they absorb and naturally filter rain water, produce clean oxygen, provide living spaces for wildlife, and create a place for people to connect with the outdoors.

In order to create healthy forests and riparian zones, the work can include:

Removing invasive species of plants

Reed Canary Grass

Himalayan Blackberry

English Ivy

Etc.

Caring for existing and previous plantings

Planting trees and shrubs during the rainy season

Youth Policy

Youth under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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Dead Man's Pond Work Party Come help us restore this valuable habitat and community green space along the Puyallup Loop Trail! Must pre-register to attend. For your safety and comfort please bring: Clothing that can get dirty Long pants and sleeves Sturdy shoes (closed toed shoes required, no sandals or flats) Rain gear and warm layers (the event will happen rain or shine) Full water bottle!

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Join us and be part of the solution

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Planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve(Puyallup) October 16, 9-11:30am

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Planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve(Puyallup) October 16, 9-11:30am

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Join us for a restoration planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve. Together, we can take action to help recover our beloved Southern Resident Orca Whales. Register here

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Orca Recovery Day Planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Please pre-register for location and event details. Restoration planting work party at South Prairie Creek Preserve.

Join us for a restoration planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve. Together, we can take action to help recover our beloved Southern Resident Orca Whales.

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Orca Recovery Day Planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve

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Orca Recovery Day Planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve Please pre-register for location and event details. Restoration planting work party at South Prairie Creek Preserve. Join us for a restoration planting at South Prairie Creek Preserve. Together, we can take action to help recover our beloved Southern Resident Orca Whales.

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RESTORATION, PROTECTION AND RECOVERY INFORMATION FOR THE PUGET SOUND REGION

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The Puget Sound Vital Signs are measures of ecosystem health that guide the assessment of progress toward Puget Sound recovery goals. Each of the six Puget Sound recovery goals are expressed with one or more Vital Signs. Vital Signs represent an important component of the ecosystem (e.g. marine water, economic vitality). Each component is, in turn, represented by one or more indicators. The indicators are specific measures of Puget Sound conditions, including human wellbeing, while ecosystem recovery targets are policy statements that express desired future conditions for human health and quality of life, species and food webs, habitats, water quantity, and water.

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The Puget Sound Vital Signs are measures of ecosystem health and progress toward Puget Sound recovery goals. Thanks to a strong network ofmonitoring programs and committed scientists and environmental program managers in thePuget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, the status and trends of indicators and progress toward recovery goals are regularly updated throughout this website.

Whether you are a partner in the recovery effort for Puget Sound, a member of the media, a scientist or high school student, this website is designed for people with a range of technical expertise. Click on the Vital Sign wheel or menus at the top to learn more.

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The Puget Sound Vital Signs are measures of ecosystem health and progress toward Puget Sound recovery goals. Thanks to a strong network ofmonitoring programs and committed scientists and environmental program managers in thePuget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, the status and trends of indicators and progress toward recovery goals are regularly updated throughout this website.

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What impacts are humans having on the water resources of the Puget Sound region? Study both the "Careless Actions" and "Careful Actions" side of the poster.

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The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound is a comprehensive guide to the science of Salish Sea ecosystem recovery. Articles on this site describe the region's major environmental threats and areas of concern, but also the facts and stories that make the Salish Sea an estuary of international importance. The website is a product of the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute and receives major support from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program.

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FEATURED

An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system. While most are innocuous, there are a small number of algae species that produce harmful toxins to humans and animals.

Subscribe

This article provides an overview and a link to further information about the Marine Water Quality Implementation Strategy. Implementation Strategies (Strategies) are plans for accelerating progress toward the 2020 ecosystem recovery targets for the Puget Sound Vital Signs. The Strategies are developed collaboratively with technical, professional, and policy experts and with local and regional input. They are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This article provides an overview and a link to further information about the Shellfish Implementation Strategy. Implementation Strategies (Strategies) are plans for accelerating progress toward the 2020 ecosystem recovery targets for the Puget Sound Vital Signs. The Strategies are developed collaboratively with technical, professional, and policy experts and with local and regional input. They are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This article provides an overview and a link to further information about the Chinook Salmon Implementation Strategy. Implementation Strategies (Strategies) are plans for accelerating progress toward the 2020 ecosystem recovery targets for the Puget Sound Vital Signs. The Strategies are developed collaboratively with technical, professional, and policy experts and with local and regional input. They are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This article provides an overview and a link to further information about the Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategy. Implementation Strategies (Strategies) are plans for accelerating progress toward the 2020 ecosystem recovery targets for the Puget Sound Vital Signs. The Strategies are developed collaboratively with technical, professional, and policy experts and with local and regional input. They are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This article provides an overview and a link to further information about the Floodplains and Estuaries Implementation Strategy. Implementation Strategies (Strategies) are plans for accelerating progress toward the 2020 ecosystem recovery targets for the Puget Sound Vital Signs. The Strategies are developed collaboratively with technical, professional, and policy experts and with local and regional input. They are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Find more articles

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FEATURED An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system. While most are innocuous, there are a small number of algae species that produce harmful toxins to humans and animals. Subscribe This article provides an overview and a link to further information about the Marine Water Quality Implementation Strategy.

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Our water and weather data is available to the public through an online portal called the Pierce County Water Data Viewer. This powerful interface offers access to over 300 monitoring stations where you can find data on water quality, weather, groundwater, and streamflow. You’ll also find data from our partners, including Pierce Conservation District sampling locations and USGS stream gauge stations.

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Data Portal - Pierce County Water Data Viewer

Our water and weather data is available to the public through an online portal called the Pierce County Water Data Viewer. This powerful interface offers access to over 300 monitoring stations where you can find data on water quality, weather, groundwater, and streamflow. You'll also find data from our partners, including Pierce Conservation District sampling locations and USGS stream gauge stations.

Interested to learn about the health of a particular stream? We use the Water Quality Index (WQI) score to track water quality status and trends in the county. A WQI score is based on 8 stream water chemical and physical parameters. Monthly WQI scores can go back to 2008 at some long-term monitoring sites. Annual and monthly WQI score time series for freshwater quality stations are available on the Water Data Viewer. We also provide this information on a watershed basis on our Watershed Health webpage. For more information about the types of data available, please visit our Water Data Viewer.

Accessing the Data

You can access and download the data using a standard web browser. We have created four short tutorial videos to help you get started:

We have also produced a step-by-step written guide for downloading data:

The terms of use are available on the Pierce County Water Quality Data Disclaimer. To access the data, you must agree with the terms, so please take a moment to review them.

We are always improving the data portal. If you have any trouble with the site, begin by closing and reopening the webpage or using a different browser. If you need further assistance or would like to offer feedback on the site, please contact the Pierce County Water Quality Data Manager at [email protected] .

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Data Portal - Pierce County Water Data Viewer Our water and weather data is available to the public through an online portal called the Pierce County Water Data Viewer. This powerful interface offers access to over 300 monitoring stations where you can find data on water quality, weather, groundwater, and streamflow.

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A highlight reel of the 2021 Salmon Orca Summit at Squaxin Island. Tribes and Congressional leaders gathered on July 7 & 8, 2021 to speak and listen regarding the concerns surrounding salmon, orca and the waterways.

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2021 Project Summaries can be viewed here

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In memory of Howard Leggett

Although everyone has Zoom fatigue, in-person gatherings are still not safe. Please stay tuned for some South Sound Science updates in early May 2021. We are all looking forward to the next time we can assemble in person.

You can view all the presentations and listen to the full audio of the 2018 symposium here.

South Sound Science Symposium Planning Committee
Jesse Barham - City of Olympia
Dayv Lowry - NOAA Fisheries
Mya Keyzers - WA State Dept. of Ecology
Tom Kantz - Pierce County
Dan Calvert - Sentinel Landscapes Partnership
Allison Osterberg - Thurston Regional Planning Council
Julie Masura - UW Tacoma
Sayre Hodgson - Nisqually Tribe
Jean Frost - WA Dept. of Health
Bob Simmons - WSU Extension
Erica Marbet - Squaxin Island Tribe
Scott Steltzner - Squaxin Island Tribe
Mindy Robert s- Washington Environmental Council
Erin Ewald - Taylor Shellfish

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In memory of Howard Leggett Although everyone has Zoom fatigue, in-person gatherings are still not safe. Please stay tuned for some South Sound Science updates in early May 2021. We are all looking forward to the next time we can assemble in person.

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Keeping our water clean and watersheds healthy so that wild salmon can thrive.