Lakes, rivers & Puget Sound

Aquatic areas managed by Washington DNR

  • State helps family foresters reopen 800 miles of stream to fish passage

    For a relatively small investment, a Washington state program has enabled hundreds of small forestland owners to reopen hundreds of miles of previously blocked stream habitat to salmon and other fish (as this video explains). About $5 million was allocated to… Continue reading

  • Freezing weather brings dangers of thin ice over water

    As temperatures dip to freezing and below in Washington state over the next week or so, the dangers of thin ice over water increase. Washington, including the several million acres of forest and range managed by Washington State Department of Natural Resources,… Continue reading

  • GIS Day: Celebrating the technology that reveals the world around us

    Geographic information systems (GIS) — the technology that helps us see the world around us in new ways — is in the spotlight today, November 18 — also known as “GIS Day.” Among the many events bringing together GIS professionals, students,… Continue reading

  • Rare visitor feasts on Aquatic Reserve bounty

    The second largest animal in the world made a surprise and swung by DNR’s Smith & Minor Islands Aquatic Reserve late last week for a snack. It’s the first time in decades a live fin whale has been spotted swimming… Continue reading

  • Derelict vessels booted from state waterways

    Thanks to a $4.5 million infusion from the legislature for the 2013-15 biennium, DNR’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program was able to remove several larger vessels that were threatening navigation and the environment. These large, abandoned hulks included the Helena Star (costing $1,158,608 to… Continue reading

  • Turn in your boat while it can still float

    Is that dream project to renovate an old boat not working out? Though old boats are enticing, their repair often requires more time and money than anticipated and too often end up sinking or washing up on beaches. As the… Continue reading

  • Pacific herring: In the middle seat of the Puget Sound family car

    Ask anyone who’s ever been stuck in the back seat of a long family road trip about the many trials of being in the middle. While it doesn’t have to count license plates or tolerate bony elbows, the silvery Pacific… Continue reading

  • Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

    At-risk critters and habitat to be protected…comments requested The at-risk ‘water-dependent’ critters that we protect under our draft Aquatic Lands Habitat Conservation Plan are pretty interesting. Some species live long lives in the wild—like 70-to-100 years, and we’re not talking… Continue reading

  • Public on hook for $millions when big, old boats sink

    One of DNR’s priorities is to avoid expensive taxpayer-funded clean-up of large sunken vessels contaminating Washington’s public waterways. What we’re trying to avoid? One example: Last winter the Chickamauga—a hundred-year-old tugboat—sank in Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island, requiring more than… Continue reading

  • New commercial geoduck harvest period starts April 1

    The next harvest period for DNR-managed commercial wild stock geoducks begins tomorrow. From April 1 through June 5, harvests will take place in select “tracts” in the Puget Sound harvest region. If you are on or near the water in… Continue reading