Puget Sound

This article is about the body of water. For the geographical region, see Puget Sound region. For the university with this name, see University of Puget Sound.

Puget Sound
x̌ʷəlč (Lushootseed)[1][2]
Refer to caption
Satellite view of Puget Sound and surrounding waterways, taken by Sentinel-2 in September 2018
Puget Sound is located in Washington (state)
Puget Sound
Puget Sound
LocationPuget Sound Lowlands, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°36′N 122°24′W / 47.6°N 122.4°W / 47.6; -122.4
EtymologyPeter Puget
Part ofSalish Sea
Primary inflowsDeschutes River, Nisqually River, Puyallup River, Duwamish River, Cedar River, Snohomish River, Stillaguamish River, Skagit River
Primary outflowsAdmiralty Inlet, Deception Pass
avg: 41,000 cu ft/s (1,200 m3/s)[3]
max: 367,000 cu ft/s (10,400 m3/s)
min: 14,000 cu ft/s (400 m3/s)
Catchment area12,138 sq mi (31,440 km2)[4]
Max. length100 mi (160 km)
Max. width10 mi (16 km)
Surface area1,020 sq mi (2,600 km2)[3]
Average depth450 ft (140 m)
Max. depth930 ft (280 m)[3]
Water volume26.5 cu mi (110 km3)[3]
SettlementsSeattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Everett, Bremerton

Puget Sound (/ˈpjuːdʒɪt/ PEW-jit; Lushootseed: x̌ʷəlč IPA: [ˈχʷəlt͡ʃ] WHULCH)[1][2] is a complex estuarine[5] system of interconnected marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound has one major and two minor connections to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which in turn connects to the open Pacific Ocean. The major connection is Admiralty Inlet; the minor connections are Deception Pass and the Swinomish Channel.

Puget Sound extends approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Deception Pass in the north to Olympia in the south. Its average depth is 450 feet (140 m)[6] and its maximum depth, off Jefferson Point between Indianola and Kingston, is 930 feet (280 m). The depth of the main basin, between the southern tip of Whidbey Island and Tacoma, is approximately 600 feet (180 m).[3]

In 2009, the term Salish Sea was established by the United States Board on Geographic Names as the collective waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. Sometimes the terms "Puget Sound" and "Puget Sound and adjacent waters" are used for not only Puget Sound proper but also for waters to the north, such as Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands region.[7]

The term "Puget Sound" is used not just for the body of water but also the Puget Sound region centered on the sound. Major cities on the sound include Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Everett. Puget Sound is also the second-largest estuary in the United States, after Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia.[8]

  1. ^ a b Zalmai, Zahir (2009). A Lushootseed Analysis of a 1877 Dictionary by George Gibbs (PDF). Zahir Consulting Services. p. 218.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference pacsci was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference WBD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Basic Information about Estuaries". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original on November 29, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "Saving the Sound". Washington State Department of Ecology. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  7. ^ Kruckeberg 1991, pp. 61–64
  8. ^ "Saving Puget Sound". Washington State Department of Ecology. Archived from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.