Report: 2012 State of Our Watersheds
The State of Our Watersheds Report is produced by the treaty tribes of western Washington, and seeks to present a comprehensive view of 20 watersheds in the Puget Sound region and the major issues that are impacting habitat.
The report describes loss of habitat, status of salmon populations, and other issues of conservation focus [download the report]. The tribes created the document to track salmon recovery and guide conservation and restoration projects. Recurring themes include population growth, water demand from increasing numbers of permit-exempt wells, loss of forest cover, and shoreline armoring and modification.
The report is part of the Treaty Rights at Risk initiative, created in 2011 by the tribes in an effort to reverse habitat destruction and declining salmon populations. Using key indicators of habitat quantity and quality, the 2012 report confirms that salmon habitat is disappearing faster than it can be restored. Huge reductions in harvest, the use of hatcheries, and significant financial investments have failed to halt the downward trend.
More information on the 2012 State of Our Watersheds report is available here. The report is a living document, and will be updated regularly as new data becomes available.