Puyallup River Watershed Assessment (Draft)
PUYALLUP RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT (DRAFT) PREPARED BY WATERSHED ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 2014 1 COVER PHOTOS: UPPER LEFT – MOUTH OF THE PUYALLUP RIVER AND ESTUARY NEAR COMMENCEMENT BAY – FROM GOVERNMENT LAND OFFICE (GLO) LAND SURVEY MAP (1877) UPPER RIGHT – MOUNT RAINIER (EMMONS GLACIER AND WHITE RIVER HEADWATERS) PHOTO BY CHRIS MAGIRL, USGS LOWER LEFT – CHINOOK SPAWNING IN PUYALLUP RIVER NEAR CHAMPION BRIDGE (NEAR RIVER MILE 29) – PHOTO BY TOM NELSON, PIERCE COUNTY LOWER RIGHT – LOWER PUYALLUP LEVEE CONSTRUCTION (CIRCA 1910) – PHOTO COURTESY OF PIERCE COUNTY RIVER MAINTENANCE COLLECTION 2 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND WATERSHED OVERVIEW This watershed assessment presents historical and current information on the physical, biological, cultural, and economic landscape in the Puyallup River watershed. Elements of the watershed include historical conditions (pre-European and from the 1850s to present), current socio-economic and cultural conditions, geology and geomorphology, hydrology and water use, aquatic habitat, fish and wildlife populations, water quality, floodplains, agricultural and forest lands, and key watershed features. Some information is summarized for the watershed as a whole and other information is provided by sub-basin. There are two main purposes of this watershed assessment: (1) to provide a compilation of existing information on watershed conditions (i.e., how the watershed functions in an ecological and human context) in a single document; and (2) to inform the Puyallup River Watershed Council (PRWC) and its partners in the development of a guiding document or strategic plan to manage the watershed in the future. A key part of the analysis is to compare historical conditions with current conditions, quantify changes, and look forward to desired future conditions that are necessary to achieve agreed-upon watershed goals (e.g., clean water, healthy habitats, and thriving communities).
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