Samish Bay

Samish Bay
Samish Bay from the north
LocationSkagit County, Washington, United States
Part ofSalish Sea
River sources
Samish River
Map
Interactive map of Samish Bay

Samish Bay is a bay of the Salish Sea in Skagit County, Washington, United States.[1] It is adjacent to Bellingham Bay and Chuckanut Bay in the north. To the northeast the bay is bordered by Larrabee State Park and the Chuckanut Mountains. To the south the bay is bordered by Samish Island, which despite its name is not an island, but actually a man-made peninsula,[2] separating the bay from nearby Padilla Bay.

The Samish River is the only river that empties into the bay, although a few small creeks do drain into the bay from within Larrabee State Park. Samish Bay is named after the Samish people, a Coast Salish people of the Pacific Northwest.[3]

Restoration

Agriculture along the Samish River and near Samish Bay contributed to various forms of water pollution.[4] Bacteria (specifically fecal coliform[5][6]) that has runoff from farmland has negatively impacted shellfish populations in the bay,[4][7] as well as waterfowl habitat. The polluted shellfish have been deemed unsafe for human consumption, causing a recall of previously harvested shellfish, and put a stop to further harvesting.[8][9] Skagit County has established an initiative to clean Samish Bay, setting up a hotline for water quality concerns, as well as working with federal, state, Indian tribes, non-governmental organizations, shellfish growers, and private citizens to reduce pollution in the bay.[5][7] In 2004, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife purchased 107-acres of agricultural land next to Samish Bay and established a wildlife area.[10] As of 2010 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded more than $90 million to go towards cleaning the bay.[4] As of 2023 Amazon has put forward $200,000 in funding towards introducing oysters back into the bay.[11]

Panorama

Panorama from Blanchard Mountain in April 2010. Samish Island seen on left, Lummi Island to the right, and Cypress Island in the middle.

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Samish Bay
  2. ^ "About Samish Island". Samish Island Community Center. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Hitchman, Robert (1985). Place Names of Washington. Washington State Historical Society. p. 262. ISBN 0-917048-57-1. LCCN 85024683. OCLC 12809060. OL 2542981M.
  4. ^ a b c Eaton, Tom (June 6, 2011). "Skagit County's Samish Bay shellfish beds deserve better protection, say federal, state and county officials". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Skagit County Natural Resources Management". Skagit County. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  6. ^ Lawrence, Sally (July 2009). Samish Bay Watershed Fecal Coliform Bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load - Volume 2 (PDF). Washington State Department of Ecology.
  7. ^ a b "Focus on Samish Watershed" (PDF). Ecology's Water Quality Program. Washington State Department of Ecology.
  8. ^ Cauvel, Kimberly (July 21, 2021). "Samish Bay oyster recall issued, harvest closed due to bacteria-related illness". goSkagit. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  9. ^ Lee, Jennifer (September 2, 2019). "Samish Bay harvesters face uncertain future after toxins found in shellfish". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  10. ^ "Samish River Wildlife Area Unit". Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  11. ^ Zucco, Erica (August 1, 2023). "Project to restore the west coast's only native oyster is underway at Samish Bay". king5.com. Retrieved March 16, 2025.

48°36′20.4″N 122°31′00.6″W / 48.605667°N 122.516833°W / 48.605667; -122.516833

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