Wheredoes thePuget Sound start?
As salmon return to thewaters of Puget Sound and our streams and rivers, they are affectedbywhat happens on the land all around them,
thewatershed. Awatershed is an area of landwhere all thewater drains in to the same place, like a lake, river or Puget Sound.
Nomatter where you are standing, you are in awatershed. Your home is likelywithin thewatershed of a small neighborhood
stream. Your home’swatershedmay also be part of theCedar River, SammamishRiver, or LakeWashingtonwatershed, which
together, include amuch larger land area that stretches from theCascadeMountains and throughmany cities before draining to
Puget Sound. On an even larger scale, the Puget SoundWatershed covers 1.6million acres (2500 squaremiles) across 12 counties
inhabitedby approximately 4.3million people! It stretches from theCascadeMountains in the east to theOlympic
Mountains in thewest and from theCanadian border in the north toMt. Rainier in the south.
Every drop of water in thewatershed –whether it is from your shower, lawn sprinkler, or car wash – finds its
way to Puget Sound. This iswhy the Puget Sound Starts Here, with you, andwhywe all have a responsibility
to keep the Puget Sound clean.
What is stormwater runoff?
When rain falls in a forest, most of
thewater soaks into the ground,
evaporates back into the air, or
is absorbedby trees. The forest
acts like a sponge, capturing and
holding the rainwater before it can
enter streams and lakes. But when forests are
replacedwith hard (or “impervious surfaces”),
like buildings, streets, andparking lots, thewater
from the rain runs off the surface because it can
no longer soak into the ground. This rain that does
not infiltrate into the ground is called stormwater
runoff. The combination of fewer trees andmore
impervious surfaces changes theway that rain
watermoves through the land, and how it enters
natural waterways such as rivers, lakes and the
Puget Sound. In the forest, approximately half of
thewater either evaporates or is absorbedby trees.
Another one third of the rainwater is absorbed into
the soil and slowlymakes itsway downhill, through
the soil, to thewaterways. In a forested landscape,
only about one percent of the rainwater
flows over the surface of the land to enter
a nearbywaterway after a rain storm.
Without trees and soil to slowdown and
absorb the rainwater, it flows quickly
over the surface of the land, sometimes
through drains andpipes,
to enter nearby rivers
or lakes rapidly. Finally,
as the rainwashes over
streets and lawns, it
picks uppollution that is
then carried intowaterways.
Salmon andTrees
Salmon and trees have evolved together.When properly planted and cared
for, trees can trap and hold rainwater in their leaves, branches, bark, and root
systems, slowing the flow of rainwater and reducing stormwater runoff, flooding
and erosion. Streamside trees shade and cool thewater. The colder thewater
themore oxygen it can holdwhich is vital for salmon. The roots of streamside
trees hold the soil andprevent erosion that can damage habitat. Fallen trees create
diverse habitat including ripples, pools, andglides that salmon use duringdifferent phases of
their life to rest or findgravel for spawning. These fallen trees also create shade, safe places to
hide, and attract insects that become food for salmon.
When salmon return to spawn anddie, their carcasses become food for animals such as bear,
otter, eagles, mice and insects. After animals consume salmon bodies, they deposit the
nutrients throughout the forest in their waste. Salmon bones not eaten by animals
decompose into the soil creating nutrients that feed trees.
Salmon are fertilizer for the forest!
Most of the
time, stormwater
flows into thesenatural
bodies ofwater suchas
streams, lakes, and the
Puget Soundwithout
being treated.Only rain
shouldgodowna
stormdrain!
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER30, 2016 |
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