Watershed Planning

Tacoma's Watersheds

North Tacoma

Drainage Area: 5,001 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Commencement Bay, Puget Creek, Mason Creek, Buckley Creek
Key Areas: 6th Avenue, Proctor Business District, Ruston Way, Westgate Shopping Center, North End Treatment Plant, Former ASARCO Smelter Site

Historical Context:
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians historically inhabited this area, utilizing the waterfront for hunting and fishing. After non-native settlers arrived, industrial businesses like sawmills and grain terminals were established along the shoreline.

Geology:
Sandy soils over clay layers; steep slopes are located along the northern edge.

Critical Issues:

• Habitat Degradation: Impaired nearshore habitats along Commencement Bay
• Erosion: Ongoing erosion of steep slopes
• Contamination: Lead and arsenic contamination in the Smelter Plume area
• Fish Passage Barriers: Limited fish access to creeks due to infrastructure (e.g., Ruston Way, railroads)
• Conservation Efforts: Puget Creek habitat improvements, including a fish ladder built in 1997

Foss Waterway

Drainage Area: 5,868 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Thea Foss Waterway, Wheeler-Osgood Waterway, Commencement Bay
Key Areas: Tacoma Tideflats, South Tacoma Way, Downtown Regional Growth Center, Pacific Avenue business center, Lincoln District business center

Historical Context:
In the 1960s, natural drainages like creeks and groundwater were redirected into pipe systems, which now carry baseflow to the Thea Foss Waterway year-round. There are no remaining natural streams in the watershed. The Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways were originally part of the Puyallup River Delta but were industrialized in the late 1800s, playing a significant role in Tacoma’s marine industry.

Geology:
The original delta land was heavily modified for industrial use, leading to the construction of artificial waterways.

Critical Issues:

• Superfund Site: Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways became designated Superfund sites in 1983 as part of the Commencement
• Bay Nearshore/Tideflats Site.
• Sediment Contamination: Sediment remediation, including dredging and capping, was completed in 2006 under EPA oversight.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Routine monitoring ensures the continued effectiveness of sediment remediation.
• Redevelopment: The Thea Foss waterfront has been redeveloped with mixed-use residential areas, museums, marinas, and a waterfront esplanade.

Lower Puyallup

Drainage Area: 2,979 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Puyallup River, Swan Creek, First Creek
Key Areas: Salishan Neighborhood, McKinley Neighborhood, Lower and Upper Portland Avenue Business Districts, Dome District, Port of Tacoma, I-5, Highway 509

Historical Context:
The Lower Puyallup Watershed is home to deep cultural and historical ties with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The mouth of the Puyallup River was the main village site of the Tribe, and this region was a crossroads for many other tribes. Following the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854, the Tribe secured the rights to fish, hunt, and gather in their ancestral lands. These rights were fiercely defended through the Fishing Wars of the 1960s and 1970s and ultimately protected by the Boldt Decision of 1974, granting the Tribe co-management of the region’s salmon fisheries.

Geology:
The lower Puyallup River forms a salt-wedge estuary where fresh river water overlays denser marine water from Commencement Bay. Swan Creek and First Creek are significant tributaries to this watershed.

Critical Issues:

• Salmon Habitat: The Puyallup River serves as a critical migration route for several species of salmon. Four fish hatcheries are located upstream.
• Estuarine Dynamics: The lower Puyallup estuary provides unique ecological conditions, important for aquatic species.
• Swan Creek Restoration: A 12-acre restoration project was completed in 2001, improving habitat and stormwater management.
• First Creek Action Plan: First Creek, an important cultural and stormwater asset, has suffered from pollution and development impacts. A community-driven action plan was created in 2013 to restore the creek and its surrounding area.

Tideflats

Drainage Area: 2,615 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Middle Waterway, Sitcum Waterway, Blair Waterway, Wapato Creek, Puyallup River, Commencement Bay
Key Areas: Port of Tacoma, heavy industrial zones, Port Maritime, and Industrial areas

Historical Context:
The Tideflats watershed, once an extensive tidal flat and wetland estuary at the mouth of the Puyallup River, was a major site for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. This area was a key fishing ground and remains significant to the Tribe. However, urbanization and extensive flood control infrastructure, including dams and levees, have transformed the river and its tributaries. Today, less than 5% of the original estuarine habitat remains, largely replaced by the Port of Tacoma and other industrial developments.

Geology:
Once a natural estuarine delta, this area has been substantially modified for industrial use, with waterways and creeks redirected and contained within port infrastructure.

Critical Issues:

• Superfund Cleanup Sites: The Middle and Sitcum Waterways are part of the Commencement Bay Nearshore/Tideflats Superfund site. Sediment remediation was completed in the Middle Waterway in 2004 and in the Sitcum Waterway in 1994, under EPA oversight.
• Habitat Loss: Significant estuarine and tidal flat habitat loss has occurred due to industrial expansion, leaving minimal natural habitat.
• Tideflats Subarea Plan: Tacoma is working on a Tideflats Subarea Plan as part of the One Tacoma Comprehensive Plan, in partnership with the Port of Tacoma and Puyallup Tribe. This initiative will engage the community in planning for future use and preservation within the Tideflats area.

Northeast Tacoma

Drainage Area: 3,385 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Hylebos Creek, Hylebos Waterway, Commencement Bay
Key Areas: Marine View Drive (Highway 509), bluffs, and steep slopes

Historical Context:
The Northeast Tacoma Watershed is defined by steep slopes, bluffs, and seasonal water flows. Marine View Drive separates the residential upland areas from industrial properties bordering the Hylebos Waterway. The combination of sandy soils, steep inclines, and groundwater seeps results in frequent erosion and landslides, particularly in winter.

Geology:
The watershed has sandy soils and steep bluffs prone to seasonal erosion and landslides, especially along Marine View Drive.

Critical Issues:

• Hylebos Creek: This is the only fish-bearing stream in the watershed, though only a small portion is within Tacoma city limits. Despite extensive development impacts, community efforts are ongoing to protect and restore the creek habitat.
• Superfund Cleanup: The Hylebos Waterway is part of the Commencement Bay Nearshore Tideflats Superfund Site. Cleanup efforts have included dredging, shoreline capping, and monitoring. The area has experienced partial recontamination, and EPA is evaluating further actions.
• Mitigation Sites: Several key habitat mitigation areas exist within this watershed, including the Lower Hylebos Creek Mitigation Site, Hylebos Creek Estuarine Marsh Restoration Site, and the Port of Tacoma Place of Circling Waters mitigation site.

Western Slopes

Drainage Area: 2,200 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Gold Creek, Narrows Creek, Crystal Creek, Crystal Springs Creek, Marinera Creek, Titlow Park Creek, Titlow Lagoon, Narrows Passage in Puget Sound
Key Areas: Point Defiance Park, Titlow Beach, 6th Avenue commercial area

Historical Context:
The Western Slopes Watershed in northwest Tacoma consists of steep, residential slopes with shallow groundwater, underground springs, and unstable soil conditions. This green belt between Point Defiance Park and Titlow Beach forms an essential wildlife corridor, supporting diverse species such as deer, raccoons, and river otters.

Geology:
The watershed is characterized by steep slopes, shallow groundwater, and unstable soils, which lead to slope instability, especially near the waterfront.

Critical Issues:

• Slope Development: Development on steep slopes and tree removal for Puget Sound views increase the risk of slope instability and erosion.
• Railway Impact: The BNSF railway runs along the waterfront at the base of steep slopes, where culverts direct stormwater and creek flows under the tracks into Puget Sound.
• Salmon Beach Community: Accessible only by water or steep stairs, Salmon Beach experiences groundwater discharges and has a history of surface and deep-seated landslides, occasionally triggered by seismic activity.

Leach Creek

Drainage Area: 1,867 acres
Significant Waterbodies: China Lake, TCC Campus Wetlands, Leach Creek, Chambers Creek
Key Areas: State Route 16, Highway 163 (Pearl Street), Westgate Shopping Center, James Center, Highland Hills Shopping Center, Tacoma Community College

Historical Context:
The Leach Creek Watershed, located in west-central Tacoma, spans residential, commercial, and educational areas. In 1961, a holding basin was constructed to manage water flow from Leach Creek and parts of Fircrest, with an earthen dam created to contain high flows. A pump station was added in 1991 to divert excess water to the Thea Foss Waterway during high flow events.

Geology:
The watershed is highly urbanized, with a mix of natural and modified flow systems. The Leach Creek holding basin controls water flow, feeding into Leach Creek and eventually Chambers Creek.

Critical Issues:

• Spawning Habitat: Salmonid spawning grounds exist in the lower creek near Chambers Creek, though upper creek areas suffer from reduced vegetation, channeling, and storm-related erosion.
• Urban Impact: Homeowner activities, including vegetation removal and water channeling, have affected creek health and habitat.
• Superfund Site: A portion of the Tacoma Landfill Superfund site is within this watershed, presenting ongoing environmental concerns and monitoring.

Flett Creek

Drainage Area: 7,130 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Snake Lake, Wapato Lake, Ward’s Lake, Flett Wetlands, Flett Creek, Chambers Creek
Key Areas: South Tacoma, Clover Park Technical College, South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District

Historical Context:
The Flett Creek watershed, primarily residential with some light commercial and industrial areas, spans South Tacoma and parts of Pierce County. Clover Park Technical College has preserved part of the historic Flett Dairy site, now the Flett Wetlands, as open space for student training in water quality and environmental sampling.

Geology:
This watershed is characterized by highly permeable soils and large areas of impervious surfaces like roads and rooftops. The South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District and multiple drinking water wellhead protection areas are also part of this watershed.

Critical Issues:

• Stormwater Management: The watershed’s hard surfaces cause “flashy” high flows during winter rains and low flows in the dry summer, which are managed through holding basins and the Flett Wetlands pump station.
• Salmon Habitat: Flett Creek flows into Chambers Creek, which supports salmon populations and eventually discharges into Chambers Bay and the Narrows.
• Superfund Site: The South Tacoma Channel Superfund Site (formerly the South Tacoma Swamp) is within this watershed, necessitating ongoing environmental monitoring and protection efforts.

Joe's Creek

Drainage Area: 434 acres
Significant Waterbodies: Dumas Bay, Joe’s Creek
Key Areas: Bordering unincorporated Pierce County, adjacent to the City of Federal Way, Dash Point State Park

Historical Context:
The Joe’s Creek Watershed is Tacoma’s smallest and includes portions that drain to Joe’s Creek in Federal Way as well as areas that drain south of Dumas Bay. The watershed is largely residential, with single-family and multi-family homes, along with some open spaces and undeveloped areas.

Geology:
This watershed includes residential areas with intermittent open spaces. The drainage pattern splits, with eastern areas draining to Joe’s Creek and western portions draining toward Dumas Bay.

Critical Issues:

• Salmon Habitat: Joe’s Creek, primarily in Federal Way, supports salmon species, especially in its lower reaches, which provide high-quality spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids.
• Stormwater Impact: Joe’s Creek receives stormwater discharges from Tacoma, impacting the creek’s flow and habitat quality.