Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Water & Natural Resources

Program Contact: Bob Simmons, Olympic Region Water Resources Specialist
(360) 379.5610 x 207 • simmons@wsu.edu


WSU Jefferson County Extension provides a number of outreach and educational resources for those interested in water-related resources. Special programs and research-based publications offer guidance for protecting natural resources associated with streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and marine waters.

Classes & Programs: Beach Naturalists & Stream Stewards

Beach Naturalist Class

Learn about our fascinating marine and nearshore environments in this multi-day training. Classes are creative, educational and diverse, allowing volunteers to use their individual interests to improve, maintain and protect our marine environment through education, community outreach, citizen science, and stewardship projects.

Virtual Field Trips and Classes 

A variety of classes and field trips are now being offered online.

Stream Stewards Class

Participants in the Stream Stewards program learn about our extraordinary fresh water habitats, with a focus on watersheds, streams, salmon and more. This is also a classroom and field course paired with a 20-hour volunteer commitment. Classes are engaging, fast-paced and diverse, allowing volunteers to learn about ecological systems, fascinating natural history and what people are doing to manage and conserve these precious resources. Volunteering is an opportunity to protect and improve Puget Sound through education, community outreach, stewardship, and research. Call for information about upcoming classes.


Environmental Stewardship Volunteer Opportunities

WSU Jefferson County Extension partners with local and regional environmental stewardship organizations to help promote volunteer events and education opportunities across the North Olympic Peninsula. Sign up for the monthly North Olympic Peninsula Volunteer Opportunities newsletter, view the most recent newsletter, see the Strait ECO events calendar for current opportunities, and scroll through the listings of organizations to find the right fit for you.


SSbooklet cover

Shore Stewards

Residents, farmers, and businesses join Shore Stewards to learn better ways of managing their own land to protect local waters and preserve critical habitat for fish, wildlife and birds. Visit the new Shore Stewards website, download the new updated booklet:  Guide for Shoreline Living or watch the new Shore Stewards TV playlist.  No volunteer commitment required. Click here to learn more.


WATER.WSU.EDU Comprehensive water website for Washington

Whether you’re a homeowner, farmer, citizen scientist, or simply enjoy life-long learning, you’ll find WSU publications, training opportunities, research and programs and timely news on important water-related issues on the website. Topics covered include water quality, conservation and irrigation, landscaping, low impact development and rain gardens, noxious weeds, marine shorelines, climate change, and watershed stewardship. WSU Extension, in partnership with WSU’s world-class researchers, brings you this wealth of water related information on the many aspects of fresh and salt water in Washington state.


Local WSU Weather Stations.   The Chimacum High School campus houses a weather station which provides state of the art weather information for our community. The new station is part of WSU’s AgWeatherNet which provides access to current and historical weather data from Washington State University’s automated weather station network of 164 stations as well as a range of farm management decision aids. CLICK HERE to access AgWeatherNet then zoom to locate the Chimacum station.


Other Watershed Resources:

Jefferson County Public Health

Jefferson County Community Development

Jefferson County Public Works: Surface Water Management 360-385-9160 (Stormwater, water quality monitoring, fish habitat, watershed planning, shellfish protection, shoreline planning & management)
City of Port Townsend Public Works: Sewer, Water quality, Parks, more

Port of Port Townsend Environment Stewardship: water quality, rain gardens.

 Local Non Profit Organization Partners

  • Hood Canal Coordinating Council is working to advocate for and implement actions to protect and enhance Hood Canal’s environmental and economic health.
  • Jefferson Land Trust is a private, non-profit, grass-roots organization. Their mission is to help the community preserve open space, working lands and habitat in Jefferson County on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.
  • North Olympic Salmon Coalition is working to restore, enhance, and protect habitat of North Olympic Peninsula wild salmon stocks and to promote community volunteerism and stewardship.
  • www.seastarwasting.org is a group that has been tracking Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. they are a Marine Research Group in UC Santa Cruz that encourages the involvement of citizen scientists in their work.
  • Washington Sea Grant is serving the people who manage, use and enjoy Washington’s ocean and coasts.