Publications:
Fact Cards
 Puget
Sound was one of
the first estuaries
to join the National
Estuary Program.
It is home to Washington's
most urbanized area
and hundreds of
thousands of visitors
come to enjoy the
magnificent waters,
coast, and islands
that make up the
sound. Just over
2,350 miles of shoreline,
a spectacular mosaic
of beaches, bluffs,
deltas, mudflats
and wetlands surround
the sound. Much
of the promise and
potential of this
region is based
on natural resources
and the industries,
tourism and recreation
these resources
support.
Facts About the
Estuary
- Nearly
3.9 million
people live
in Puget Sound
with 2 million
more projected
by 2020.
- Puget
Sounders own
more than 165,000
powerboats,
21,500 sailboats,
45,000 canoes
and kayaks,
and numerous
sailboards and
other personal
watercraft.
- The
shellfish industry
produced nearly
50 million pounds
of bivalve shellfish
with a wholesale
value of nearly
$50 million
in 1998.
- Puget
Sound contains
1.8 million
acres of submerged
marine beds
and tidelands.
- Puget
Sound is home
to over 220
species of fish,
26 different
kinds of marine
mammals, 100
species of sea
birds, and thousands
of species of
marine invertebrates.
Health
of the Estuary
- Numerous
marine species
appear to be
in trouble,
including Pacific
herring, rockfish,
coho salmon,
scoters, Western
grebes, great
blue herons
and orca whales.
- More
than one-half
of the river
stations monitored
for fecal coliform
bacteria violate
state standards.
- More
than 3,000 acres
of Puget Sound
sediments are
contaminated.
- More
than one-third
of Puget Sound's
shoreline has
been modified
by human activity.
- Water
quality restoration
efforts have
resulted in
a lifting of
harvest restrictions
at several commercial
shellfish growing
areas in the
past two years.
- Control
measures of
Spartina-an
invasive plant-have
substantially
decreased the
size of infestations
in seven of
the twelve sound
counties.
- Decreasing
trends in concentrations
of PCBs measured
in mussels were
observed at
a number of
Puget Sound
monitoring stations.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary Program
- All
12 Puget Sound
counties and
110 cities have
measures in
place to protect
wetlands and
stream habitat.
- Seventeen
of 89 contaminated
marine sediment
sites have been
cleaned up.
- Ninety-seven
of 122 cities
and counties
in Puget Sound
have adopted
basic stormwater
programs.
- Acquired
and provided
permanent protection
for 10,758 acres
of prime estuarine
habitat since
1991.
- Developed
water cleanup
plans for 52
watersheds.
- Prevented
420,000 gallons
of raw sewage
from entering
Puget Sound
with construction
of 19 pump-out
stations and
12 other sewage
facilities for
boats.
- Provided
more than $5
million for
over 280 Public
Involvement
and Education
projects since
1987 serving
more than 2
million people.
- The
Ambient Monitoring
Program, in
its tenth year,
continues to
provide information
on trends in
the health of
the sound.
For
Viewing and Printing:
Before printing one or more of these National
Estuary Program files,
check out each of their text only versions for
quick viewing.
To view each of the PDF versions, you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader software, which can be downloaded FREE
from Adobe's site through a direct link.
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