Puget Sound boundaries

There are several ways that scientists and managers have defined the boundaries of Puget Sound. To oceanographers, Puget Sound includes the waters from Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass to the southern tip of Olympia. However, many management and conservation efforts incorporate the entire watershed—the land where rivers and streams drain into Puget Sound—as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hood Canal and the San Juan Archipelago. 

Source: Puget Sound Fact Book

Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA). Map: Kris Symer. Data source: WAECY.

OVERVIEW

Geographic boundaries of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea

The boundaries of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea are not always consistently defined by scientists and government agencies. This article clarifies the distinctions between oceanographic and watershed-based definitions of these geographic areas. 

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Interactive map of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea

Use our interactive map to determine if a geographic feature is within the boundaries of the Puget Sound or Salish Sea watersheds. The Puget Sound region includes the area within the United States while the Salish Sea region* encompasses the entire shaded area. Areas that influence circulation in the Salish Sea or eventually drain into the estuary are marked by broader boundaries.

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Salish Sea map my Norm Maher. Courtesy of the SeaDoc Society.
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The Salish Sea

The Salish Sea extends across the U.S.-Canada border, and includes the combined waters of the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound Basin and the San Juan Islands (see map).

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Puget Sound watershed hydrologic units

There are many ways of defining the boundaries of the Puget Sound watershed. Hydrologic unit codes (HUCs) are nationally standardized divisions that are often used by conservation agencies and national organizations.

WRIA boundaries in Puget Sound area
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Water Resource Inventory Areas in Puget Sound

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Southern resident killer whales. Photo by Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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Puget Sound basins. The oceanographer’s definition of Puget Sound is limited to the following marine basins: Hood Canal, Main Basin (Admiralty Inlet and the Central Basin), South Basin, and Whidbey Basin. Map: Kris Symer. Data source: WDFW.
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Puget Sound's physical environment

The Puget Sound ecosystem is shaped by its physical environment. This article looks at Puget Sound's geologic history as well as dynamic factors such as the flow of its rivers and currents.

The shared marine waters of British Columbia and Washington report cover
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The Puget Sound Model at the UW School of Oceanography
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The Puget Sound Model

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Puget Sound drainage area. Image courtesy of the Washington Department of Ecology.
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Puget Sound Watershed Characterization Project

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Interesection of NW GAP Hydrological Units and Puget Sound WRIAs
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Puget Sound terrestrial vertebrates

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