Ever wonder where your water comes from?
What difference can you make in keeping it clean and healthy? With miles of coastline, countless rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands, water is the link that connects our communities.
Watershed Management. A watershed is a natural area of land that catches rain and snow and drains into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater.
WSU Global Change & Watershed Biogeochemistry Lab Website
WSU Washington’s Water website
State of Washington Water Research Center
Washington State Stormwater LID Program
Northwest Forest Plan Intragency Regional Monitoring Program
North Olympic Salmon Coalition
Zinc in Stormwater: Galvanizing Business Solutions
More Watershed Resources
Jefferson County Public Health
- Septic systems (on-site sewage): 360-385-9444
- Drinking water & wells: 360-385-9444
- Shellfish & beach monitoring: 360-385-9444
Jefferson County Community Development
- Permits: 360-379-4450
- Shoreline Master Program, shoreline permits: 360-379-4450
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
- It’s Your Watershed – Water Matters The information in this document is provided and formatted so that educators throughout the Pacific Northwest region may use these pages to provide the public with accurate, up to date information about watersheds and their functions.
- 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.
- Port Townsend Marine Science Center is an educational and scientific organization devoted to understanding and conserving our marine and shoreline environment.
- 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.
Additional Resources
- Preserving the Salish Sea by Using Less Plastic – Our marine ecosystems are impacted by upland activities within our watersheds. Discover simple ways to help keep the Salish Sea beautiful and reduce plastic pollution. National Microplastics expert professor Julie Masura shares tips to help maintain this biologically diverse inland marine ecosystem.