
Puget Creek is a small urban creek in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Washington, in the
north end of
Tacoma, It rises in Puget Park and flows north to
Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay is a bay of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. The city of Tacoma is located on the bay, with the Port of Tacoma occupying the southeastern end. A line drawn from Point Defiance in the southwest to Browns Point in ...
, part of
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected m ...
.
[Washington Place Names]
, Tacoma Public Library; keyword search for "Puget Creek" Its course follows a steep ravine containing
Puget Gardens Park. The creek's course is mostly contained within the natural area of Puget Gulch. Puget Creek is the focus of restoration work by the Puget Creek Restoration Society and community volunteers.
One of the restoration goals is the reestablishment of regular runs of
coho and
chum
Chum may refer to:
Broadcasting
* CHUM Limited, a defunct Canadian media company
* CHUM Radio, now Bell Media Radio, a Canadian radio broadcasting company
* CHUM (AM), a Toronto radio station
* CHUM-FM, a Toronto radio station
* CHUM Chart, a C ...
salmon, as well as sea-run
coastal cutthroat trout
The coastal cutthroat trout (''Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii''), also known as the sea-run cutthroat trout, blue-back trout or harvest trout, is one of the several subspecies of cutthroat trout found in Western North America. The coastal cutthroa ...
.
Puget Creek currently provides habitat for Chum and Coho salmon and Cutthroat trout. Over the years, several groups have worked to improve fish access and vegetative cover. Efforts to return salmon to the creek began in 1994 when salmon fry were released. To further encourage salmon to return, in-creek habitat has been (and continues to be) restored. In addition, The Puget Creek Restoration Society has had a salmon egg incubator installation since 2007.
Since 1987, volunteers have been working to restore these populations and improve the Puget Creek Natural Area. In 2000, the non-profit organization, Puget Creek Restoration Society (PCRS), was formed to help restore and raise awareness about the creek. As a continuation of their efforts, Metro Parks Tacoma's Management Plan is being established to help Metro Parks Tacoma guide the PCRS and other public and private interests and agencies in efforts to restore the Puget Creek Natural Area and raise awareness about the surrounding watershed.
The creek is one of only three potential salmon-bearing streams within the city of Tacoma. Restoration work in the late 1990s succeeded in helping salmon return. Coho and some chum salmon reportedly returned to spawn in Puget Creek in 2000, 2002, and 2003. citation fro
Metro Parks Tacoma Puget Creek Tacoma Natural Area Management Plan
The creek was named for Puget Park, which in turn was named for
Peter Puget of the 1792 exploration and mapping of Puget Sound by the
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continen ...
.
[
]
See also
*List of rivers of Washington
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Washington.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin. Respective tributaries are indented under each larger stream's name and are ordered downstream to upstream.
Fraser River (Briti ...
References
{{authority control
North Tacoma, Washington
Rivers of Washington (state)
Geography of Tacoma, Washington
Rivers of Pierce County, Washington