Puget Sound Salmon
Besides humans, no other creature penetrates the Northwest so completely. The salmon is to the entire Northwest what the spotted owl was to old-growth forests, a telling indicator of ecological health. Due to many factors, Puget Sound salmon are in decline. Among the many factors is the drastic reduction in salt marshes over the past 125 years. These salt marshes are vital to the life cycle of salmon as they provide food and shelter for the young salmon. It is estimated that there is about a 73% decline in these salt marsh habitats within the Puget Sound region. Almost all of the marshes in large urban areas have been lost (Dept. of Ecology). Local Chinook salmon also carry high polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels; some even carry higher levels than farmed salmon. Washington State health officials believe the heart health benefits of eating fish continue to out weigh the risks posed by the PCB (Seattle PI).
Read more about Puget Sound Salmon: Species, Needs, Life Cycle, Habitat Loss, History, Puget Sound Recovery Plan, Importance of Using Low-impact Development Methods in The Built Environment, Salmon and The Economy, Cultural Significance
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“There are some achievements which are never done in the presence of those who hear of them. Catching salmon is one, and working all night is another.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)