Water Resources and Pollution:

Estuarine Field Studies

University of Washington, Tacoma

TESC 431: Spring 2006

| Commencement Bay | Quartermaster Harbor | Hood Canal | San Juan Islands |

www.sanjuansafaris.com

 

Water Resources and Pollution (TESC 431) is a field course focusing on the study of estuarine water bodies in Puget Sound, Washington State. Four parts of Puget Sound were investigated as part of this class.

The physical, chemical, biological and geological parameters sampled in each of these areas includes: temperature, salinity, density, oxygen, fluorescence/chlorophyll, transmissivity, nutrients, plankton and sediments. A general description of the methods used at each sampling station can be found on the General Sampling Methods page.

www.alanbauer.com

 

The Puget Sound

 

Within the Puget Sound, there exist many estuaries where fresh water and salt water meet. Through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, salt water flows into the Puget Sound and mixes with fresh water from the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges where 11 major rivers feed 70% of the freshwater into the Sound. There are four main sub-basins within the Puget Sound which include: Hood Canal, Whidbey Basin, Main Basin, and Southern Basin. The basins are marked by sills left by glacial activity

The Puget Sound has semidirunal tides consisting of two high and two low tides per day. Some areas of the Sound, such as along Admiralty Strait and along the Tacoma Narrows, the tidal currents are faster due to the narrower passageway causing stronger mixing action. Hood Canal has long residence time because it is a fjord. Whidbey Basin has the largest fresh water input of the four basins.

 

www.sharedsalmonstrategy.org

The Puget Sound watershed is composed of the East Olympic and the West Cascade Mountain Ranges. A complex system of streams and rivers transport fresh water from the mountains down to the Puget Sound. The watershed is composed of the land area that is darkened in the above map.

Four Areas of Study

Commencement Bay

Located in the southern end of the main basin of the Puget Sound, Commencement Bay is fed a large influx of fresh water by the Puyallup River. The bay is surrounded by industry such as the paper mill, and is a shipping major port in this area. The city of Tacoma also has a wastewater treatment plant that discharges treated wastewater deep into the bay. Data was collected courtesy with the assistance of the City of Tacoma's boat and captain (City of Tacoma - Public Works).

Quartermaster Harbor

A relatively warm harbor located just north of Commencement Bay, Quartermaster Harbor sits between Maury and Vashon Islands. The sampling of the shallow harbor showed an increase of algal productivity with an abundance of plankton, which can negatively affect the sea life that live in the harbor. Data was collected courtesy with the assistance of the City of Tacoma's boat and captain (City of Tacoma - Public Works).

Hood Canal

Located west of the main basin area, Hood Canal is a long, deep fjord extending approximately 90 kilometers in length. The shallow sill at the entrance to the canal dramatically reduces the amount of ocean water that enters the canal with the flood tide, in addition the sill prevents the ebb tide from carrying out the canal water in an efficient manner creating a stagnant condition depriving the deepest and southernmost portion of the canal of dissolved oxygen. The canal continues to be studied by the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Washington State Department of Ecology, and the University of Washington.

San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are located between the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The surrounding water is strongly influenced by the tidal currents. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is where the incoming salty Pacific Ocean waters meet the outgoing fresh river water that is fed into the various parts of the Puget Sound. The sampling was conducted with the assistance of the crew of the Research Vessel Centennial, and the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories.

 

Figure 1.
The four areas sampled by the research team are displayed within the boxed in areas on the above map.

Links of Interest:

Water Resources and Pollution Spring 2005
Water Resources and Pollution Spring 2003
Water Resources and Pollution Spring 2002
Water Resources and Pollution Fall 2002
Department of Ecology
Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
City of Tacoma: Public Works
NOAA (Nation Oceanic and Atmospheric Association)

Acknowledgements:

We would like to offer our sincere thanks and gratitude to the following groups and individuals who graciously volunteered their time and resources to aid in our study:

Dr. Cheryl Greengrove - UWT Professor and Environmental Science Program Coordinator
Rick Fuller - City of Tacoma
Mike Rhubright - City of Tacoma
Renee Rose and Volunteers - Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (Water Quality)
Crew of the Centennial, Friday Harbor Labs
Dave Thorsen - UWS, College of Oceans and Fishery Sciences

| Commencement Bay | Quartermaster Harbor | Hood Canal | San Juan Islands |

| Top |

Web page created by Alexander Abrahamson and Mary Goreczny