Groundwater Story
A short, musical, animated overview of the importance of groundwater and what we need to do to protect it for people and fish.

Robocow
An amusing and informative look at some of the causes of water pollution and what can be done about them.

Volunteer Opportunities

Watershed Volunteer Page

The Dirt: Hands-On Volunteer Opportunities through King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks (not limited to the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed)

Public Benefit Rating System
The Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) and related Timber Land programs provide financial incentives to encourage private landowners to voluntarily conserve and protect land resources, open space and timber.

Transfer of Development Rights
The Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program is a program that allows individuals to purchase and sell residential development rights from lands that provide a public benefit.

Duwamish-Focused Groups and Efforts

The Duwamish is the lower 11 miles of the Green/Duwamish River. It is an estuary where fresh water meets and mixes with the salt water of Puget Sound. Historically, this was very productive habitat for salmon and other fish and wildlife species. People have changed it dramatically over the last 150 years. Many of these changes have caused harm to salmon and salmon habitat. The people and groups listed below also are seeking change in the years ahead: creation of a healthy Duwamish for people, fish, and other living creatures.

To learn more about this area, also visit the Duwamish Estuary Subwatershed Page.

Duwamish Tribe
Learn more about the orginal inhabitants and stewards of the Duwamish at the Tribe's website.

ECOSS (Environmental Coalition of South Seattle)
ECOSS is a non-profit agency that helps residents and business with hazardous waste disposal, recycling, and other environmental issues. It's currently planning to restore salmon habitat along the Duwamish River in South Park.

People For Puget Sound
People For Puget Sound is a non-profit citizens group dedicated to educating and involving people in protecting and restoring the land and waters of Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits. It has a number of projects focused on the Duwamish.

International Marine Association Protecting Aquatic Life ("I'M A PAL")
I'M A PAL foundation is a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to protect, defend, and preserve our creeks, streams, rivers, watersheds, and their ecosystems. Much of the focus of the group is on Hamm Creek, a tributary to the Duwamish.

Lower Duwamish Superfund Site - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The lower (northern) five miles of the Duwamish have been listed as a "Superfund" site under federal law. This is because of high levels of pollutants in the sediments of the river. These pollutants pose a risk to human health and aquatic creatures such as fish. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology are in charge of cleanup of the site. This web page lists a variety of both technical and reader-friendly documents to help explain the problems and the process that EPA and Ecology are using to figure out how to solve them.

Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition
The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition is an alliance of community, environmental, and small business groups affected by on-going pollution and cleanup plans for the Duwamish River under the federal "Superfund" law. The Coalition helps people learn about and get involved in decisions regarding cleanup. Activities include tours of the river.

Green-Duwamish Watershed Alliance
The Alliance is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Green/Duwamish Watershed through partnerships with communities, tribes, businesses, and government agencies.

Lower Duwamish Waterway Group
The Lower Duwamish Waterway Group (LDWG) is a public-private partnership working together to address environmental concerns and issues in the Lower Duwamish. Its primary focus is cleanup up polluted sediments in the river as part of the federal "Superfund" listing of the Lower Duwamish. The four LDWG partners are City of Seattle, Port of Seattle, King County, and the Boeing Company.

Elliott Bay/Duwamish Restoration Panel
The Elliott Bay/Duwamish Restoration Panel was established to implement the sediment cleanup, habitat restoration/development, and pollution source control provisions of a court settlement involving the federal government, King County, and the City of Seattle. The Panel has paid for a number of significant habitat restoration/creation projects in the Duwamish. The web site includes many photographs of restoration sites.

Salmon Friendly Seattle City Page
The City of Seattle is committed to improving habitat for chinook and other salmon species within both the city limits and in its watersheds. The City is working with scientists to figure out what actions are most needed. The City is also taking steps to improve water quality, conserve water, and restore shorelines.

Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle manages large areas of the waterfront on Elliott Bay and the Duwamish. The natural areas of these properties are managed to provide fish and wildlife habitat as well as public access to water. In addition, piers and other shoreline facilities are designed and operated to minimize harmful impacts to salmon and other aquatic resources.

Green River-Focused Groups and Efforts

The Green River begins high in the Cascades and flows over 80 miles to Tukwila, where it becomes the Duwamish estuary. The people and groups listed below are active in various parts of the Green River watershed, including important tributaries such as Newaukum and Soos Creeks.

To learn more about this area, also visit:

• Lower Green Subwatershed Page
• Middle Green Subwatershed Page
• Upper Green Subwatershed Page

Mid-Sound Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group
MSFEG works to enhance and restore salmon habitat and resources in the Mid-Puget Sound Region -- including the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound watershed -- through community partnerships. MSFEG works to educate the community by involving volunteers in habitat restoration projects such as removing fish passage barriers, planting native trees and shrubs along streams, creating side-channels for over-wintering habitat for juvenile salmon, fencing livestock from streams and installing in-stream large woody debris to create diversity in the streams. MSFEG is particularly active in the Newaukum Creek area in the Middle Green River Sub-watershed.

Middle Green River Coalition
This recently-founded group seeks to identify and preserve key natural areas in the Middle Green River Subwatershed. The site includes many photographs of some of the less well-known lakes and streams in this part of the Green/Duwamish watershed.

Green-Duwamish Watershed Alliance
The Alliance is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Green/Duwamish Watershed through partnerships with communities, tribes, businesses, and government agencies.

Black River Watershed Alliance
The Alliance cares for the Black River watershed and its wildlife by taking students on field trips to the Black River, involving members of the community in monitoring the health of the Black River, and supporting restoration of native vegetation.

Rainier Audubon
The mission of the Rainier Audubon is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems and protect birds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity and biological diversity in South King County and the world we live in.

Star Lake Community Club
The club focuses on issues affecting Star Lake.

Shadow Lake Bog (SHADOW)
Shadow Lake bog is one of the headwaters of Jenkins Creek in the Soos Creek basin south of Renton. It is a peat bog whose continued health will benefit salmon by acting as a natural deterrent to flooding. Save Habitat And Diversity Of Wetlands (SHADOW) is devoted to protecting and educating people about this unusual ecosystem in the Green/Duwamish watershed. Volunteers have constructed a boardwalk allowing people to visit the bog while preserving it.

Lake Sawyer Community Club
The club monitors and educates residents about water quality in the Lake Sawyer Basin.

Friends of Soos Creek Park
This group is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Soos Creek Park, which runs along much of Soos Creek.

Lake Meridian Community Association
The association addresses recreational uses, the control of aquatic weeds, and water quality concerns for Lake Meridian. It also sponsors community events.

Friends of the Green
This group focuses on protection and water conservation in the Green River watershed.

King County Basin Stewards
The King County Water and Land Resources Division has Basin Stewards for specific basins. These stewards:

• Respond to citizen inquiries concerning issues in their part of the watershed
  
• Coordinate efforts among various public agencies
  
• Facilitate watershed improvement projects
  
• Provide assistance to monitoring programs
  
• Provide public education opportunities

The King County basin steward for the Green River watershed, including the Green River mainstem, Soos Creek, and Newaukum Creek, is Josh Kahan, 206-296-8052.

Green River Flood Control Zone District
The Green River Flood Control Zone District is a quasi municipal corporation whose boundaries encompass the Lower Green River subwatershed from Auburn to Tukwila. The District is primarily responsible for maintaining and operating important flood protection facilities on the Lower Green River. In recent years, it has included fish habitat improvements into its levee reconstruction projects.

Green River Hydrograph
Interested in how much water is flowing in the Green River right now? This U.S. Geological Survey page provides current and historic data on flow for the Green River at several locations.

Green/Duwamish Watershed-Focused Groups and Efforts

Groups/efforts listed below are relevant to both the Duwamish and Green River parts of the Green/Duwamish watershed.

To learn more about this area, also visit:

• Duwamish Estuary Subwatershed Page
• Lower Green Subwatershed Page
• Middle Green Subwatershed Page
• Upper Green Subwatershed Page

Green-Duwamish Watershed Alliance
The Alliance is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Green/Duwamish Watershed through partnerships with communities, tribes, businesses, and government agencies.

Green-Duwamish Ecosystem Restoration Project Page of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The US Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with King County, the cities of Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Seattle, Tacoma and Renton, the Muckleshoot and Suquamish Tribes, state agencies, and local interests have developed the Green/Duwamish Ecosystem Restoration Project to restore the ecosystem of the watershed.

Urban Creeks Legacy Program - City of Seattle
The City of Seattle's Urban Creeks Legacy Program supports volunteer groups taking responsibility for stewardship of their neighborhood creeks.

King County Adopt-a-Park
Find out about adopting your favorite King County park to provide long-term stewardship.

Green River Watershed Page - King County
Information about the Green/Duwamish River watershed.

Salmon Conservation and Recovery Page - King County
King County is working to protect and restore local salmon habitat throughout the county and in the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed.

King County Basin Stewards
The King County Water and Land Resources Division has Basin Stewards for specific basins. These stewards:

• Respond to citizen inquiries concerning issues in their part of the watershed
  
• Coordinate efforts among various public agencies
  
• Facilitate watershed improvement projects
  
• Provide assistance to monitoring programs
  
• Provide public education opportunities
  

King Conservation District
Since 1949, the KCD has been helping the people of King County manage their natural resources by educating landowners, schools groups, scientists, consultants and agencies in recognizing problem situations and avoiding the creation of them. KCD also provides technical assistance in solving problems.

Central Puget Sound Water Suppliers Forum
The Central Puget Sound Water Suppliers Forum is seeking the "development of sustainable water resource management that is responsive to Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements while recognizing tribal and stakeholder interests." It is focused on freshwater resources in the watersheds of central Puget Sound.

Washington State Department of Ecology Environmental Information Page for WRIA 9
Includes downloadable publications, maps, and water quality information for Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed (WRIA 9). Most information is related to the Green/Duwamish portion of WRIA 9.

Surf Your Watershed - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Site contains links to various U.S. EPA documents related to environmental conditions in the Green/Duwamish watershed. There are links for environmental parameters such as air quality and hazardous waste in addition to water quality.

Puget Sound Nearshore-Focused Groups and Efforts

The people and groups listed below are working to protect and restore Puget Sound proper as well as the smaller streams that flow directly into it (rather than into larger rivers such as the Green/Duwamish).

To learn more about this area, visit the Nearshore Subwatershed Page.

Longfellow Creek Community Website
This Seattle Public Utilities sponsored website provides educational resources, information on events and projects, and other creek and community specific information.

Roxhill Park Wetlands Restoration Project
Roxhill bog is located in the headwaters of Longfellow Creek. An active group of citizens is restoring this resource for the benefit of the community and the health of the Longfellow Creek basin.

Friends of Fauntleroy Creek
Fauntleroy Creek in West Seattle is home to coho salmon. An active group of local citizens are protecting and restoring the creek. A Watershed Council was created in 2001 to help guide these efforts.

Miller/Walker Creeks Basin Stewardship
The Cities of Burien, Sea-Tac, and Normandy Park; and the Port of Seattle, WSDOT, and King County are working in partnership to support citizen stewardship of Miller and Walker Creeks. The website features stream photo tours, a stream blog, and volunteer opportunities.

Normandy Park Community Club: Miller/Walker Stream and Wetland Restoration Stewards of the Cove
Members of the Normandy Park Community Club are restoring Miller/Walker Creek for the benefit of salmon and bird and wildlife.

Friends of Des Moines Creek
This City of Des Moines web site provides contact information for a group of concerned citizens devoted to stewardship of Des Moines Creek.

City of Federal Way Salmon Streams Page
Learn about salmon-bearing streams in the City of Federal Way and what the City and its concerned citizens are doing to take care of them.

Vashon Island Salmon Watcher Page
Interested in watching for salmon on Vashon Island? Check out this page to learn more and volunteer.

Vashon-Maury Island Aubudon Society
The Stream Committee promotes and deepens public awareness of nature with a focus on streams and shorelines.

South King County Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers
A fishing club whose members also volunteer to restore habitat.

Alliance for Puget Sound Shorelines
Begun in 2006, this is a partnership of People For Puget Sound, the Trust for Public Land, and the Nature Conservancy. Its goal is to create 10 new waterfront parks or natural areas, restore 100 miles of shoreline through on-the-ground restoration, and protect 1,000 miles of shoreline over the next ten years.

People For Puget Sound
People for Puget Sound is a non-profit citizens group dedicated to educating and involving people in protecting and restoring the land and waters of Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits.

Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
Formed in 1984 as a coalition of citizens and organizations concerned about the health of Puget Sound, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance has been active in Sound stewardship ever since.

Urban Creeks Legacy Program - City of Seattle
The City of Seattle's Urban Creeks Legacy Program supports volunteer groups taking responsibility for stewardship of their neighborhood creeks, such as those flowing directly into the Puget Sound nearshore.

Puget Sound Watershed Page - King County
Information about King County portions of Puget Sound.

Vashon-Maury Island Page - King County
Information from King County on the marine nearshore, streams, and upland ecologies and management efforts on Vashon-Maury Island.

King County Basin Stewards
The King County Water and Land Resources Division has Basin Stewards for specific basins. These stewards:

• Respond to citizen inquiries concerning issues in their part of the watershed
  
• Coordinate efforts among various public agencies
  
• Facilitate watershed improvement projects
  
• Provide assistance to monitoring programs
  
• Provide public education opportunities
  

Puget Sound Shorelines Page
This Washington State Department of Ecology web page helps landowners and citizens learn about and protect the shorelines of Puget Sound.

Surf Your Watershed - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Site contains links to various U.S. EPA documents related to environmental conditions in the Puget Sound watershed. There are links for environmental parameters such as air quality and hazardous waste in addition to water quality.

Puget Sound-Level Salmon Recovery Groups and Efforts

Puget Sound Partnership
In 2005, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire tapped some of the region’s leading citizens from the private, nonprofit and public sectors serve on the Puget Sound Partnership. This effort resulted in the creation of new state agency, also called the Puget Sound Partnership, which began work on July 1, 2007. The new state agency replaces the Puget Sound Action Team and (in January 2008) the Shared Strategy for Puget Sound.

Shared Strategy for Puget Sound (Puget Sound Salmon Forum)
The Shared Strategy is a collaborative effort to protect and restore salmon runs across Puget Sound. Shared Strategy is engaging local citizens, tribes, technical experts and policy makers in an effort to build a practical, cost-effective recovery plan that will be endorsed by the people living and working in the watersheds of Puget Sound. Shared Strategy will become part of the new Puget Sound Partnership in January 2008.

Puget Sound Action Team
The goal of the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team was to restore and protect the biological health and diversity of Puget Sound by protecting and enhancing Puget Sound's water and sediment quality; its fish and shellfish; and its wetlands and other habitats. It was folded into the new Puget Sound Partnership in July 2007.

Puget Sound Nearshore Project
The purpose of the Puget Sound Nearshore Project is to identify significant ecosystem problems in Washington State's Puget Sound Basin, evaluate potential solutions and restore and preserve critical nearshore habitat. The project is a cooperative effort among government organizations, tribes, industries and environmental organizations to preserve and restore the health of the Sound's nearshore.

NMFS Northwest Salmon Recovery: Puget Sound Technical Recovery Team
The Puget Sound Technical Recovery Team is responsible for identifying recovery targets for threatened chinook salmon in Puget Sound.

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Salmon Recovery
The Commission web site contains information about tribal fish harvest, hatchery, and habitat initiatives in response to the decline of the Pacific salmon.

SalmonInfo
The SalmonInfo webpage provides information on salmon recovery efforts in Puget Sound, focusing on Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties ("Tri-County"). Also includes links to watershed restoration efforts in the rest of Puget Sound.

Selected State-wide Groups and Efforts

A number of groups and agencies are doing important work at the state level to help salmon, salmon habitat, and water quality.

For the Sake of the Salmon
For the Sake of the Salmon is a regional organization operating in Washington, Oregon and California. Its mission is to restore salmon to levels which ensure healthy, sustainable natural populations and support productive fisheries.

Washington's Water: Washington State University Cooperative Extension
A site containing many good resources for people interested in how they can protect and improve water quality and aquatic environments.

Endangered Salmon Species Resources for Local Governments - Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington
A comprehensive list of links to information about the Endangered Species Act listings for chinook salmon and bull trout and tools for local governments to respond to the listings.

Washington State Governor's Salmon Recovery Page
Introduction to efforts by the State of Washington to recover threatened salmon and trout.

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Salmon Recovery
Information about salmon recovery efforts by Washington State,including harvest and hatchery information.