Editing Puget Sound (section)

==Definitions==
The [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] defines Puget Sound as all the waters south of three entrances from the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]]. The main entrance at [[Admiralty Inlet]] is defined as a line between [[Point Wilson]] on the [[Olympic Peninsula]], and [[Point Partridge]] on [[Whidbey Island]]. The second entrance is at [[Deception Pass]] along a line from West Point on Whidbey Island, to Deception Island, then to Rosario Head on [[Fidalgo Island]]. The third entrance is at the south end of the [[Swinomish Channel]], which connects [[Skagit Bay]] and [[Padilla Bay]].<ref>{{Cite GNIS|1507653|Puget Sound}}</ref> Under this definition, Puget Sound includes the waters of [[Hood Canal]], Admiralty Inlet, [[Possession Sound]], [[Saratoga Passage]], and others. It does not include [[Bellingham Bay]], Padilla Bay, the waters of the [[San Juan Islands]] or anything farther north.

Another definition, given by [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]], subdivides Puget Sound into five basins or regions. Four of these (including [[South Puget Sound]]) correspond to areas within the USGS definition, but the fifth, called "Northern Puget Sound" includes a large additional region. It is defined as bounded to the north by the international boundary with Canada, and to the west by a line running north from the mouth of the [[Sekiu River]] on the Olympic Peninsula.<ref>[http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/publications/techmemos/tm44/environment.htm Environmental History and Features of Puget Sound] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513125424/http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/publications/techmemos/tm44/environment.htm |date=May 13, 2009 }}, see also: [http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/publications/techmemos/tm44/fig4.htm Map of subareas of Puget Sound] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513201732/http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/publications/techmemos/tm44/fig4.htm |date=May 13, 2009 }}, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Marine Fisheries Service</ref> Under this definition, significant parts of the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] and the [[Strait of Georgia]] are included in Puget Sound, with the international boundary marking an abrupt and hydrologically arbitrary limit.

According to Arthur Kruckeberg, the term "Puget Sound" is sometimes used for waters north of Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass, especially for areas along the north coast of Washington and the San Juan Islands, essentially equivalent to NOAA's "Northern Puget Sound" subdivision described above. Kruckeberg uses the term "Puget Sound and adjacent waters".<ref name="Kruckeberg-1991-pp61-64" /> Kruckeberg's 1991 text, however, does not reflect the 2009 decision of the [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] to use the term [[Salish Sea]] to refer to the greater maritime environment.