Editing Puget Sound (section)

==Environmental issues==
{{Main|Environmental issues in Puget Sound}}

Over the past 30 years, as the region's human population has increased, there has been a correlating decrease in various plant and animal species which inhabit Puget Sound. The decline has been seen in numerous populations including [[forage fish]], salmonids, bottom fish, [[marine birds]], [[harbor porpoise]], and [[orcas]]. The decline is attributed to various issues, including human population growth, pollution, and climate change.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/marine-species-risk#why-happening |title=Health of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Report |date=May 13, 2013 |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> Because of this population decline, there have been changes to the [[fishery]] practices, and an increase in petitioning to add species to the [[Endangered Species Act]]. There has also been an increase in [[Endangered Species Recovery Plan|recovery]] and management plans for many different area species.<ref name=report>{{cite web |url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01051/ |title=2007 Puget Sound Update: Ninth Report of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program |publisher=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |access-date=August 6, 2014 |archive-date=July 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726180610/http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01051/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Fishermen purse seining in Puget Sound, ca 1917 (COBB 71).jpeg|thumb|[[Purse seining]] on Puget Sound {{circa|1917}}]]
The causes of these environmental issues are toxic contamination, [[eutrophication]] (low oxygen due to excess nutrients), and near shore habitat changes.<ref name=report /> The [[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife|Washington Department of Fisheries]] began an [[artificial reef]] construction program in 1975 to create habitats in Puget Sound for declining fish populations, particularly [[rockfish]] and [[lingcod]]. Some reefs used disposed vehicle [[tire]]s, tied together with [[polypropylene]] rope, until they were phased out in 1982 in favor of less-expensive scrap concrete.<ref>{{cite report |date=August 16, 2023 |title=Mapping Puget Sound's Artificial Reefs: Identifying Automobile Tires for Removal |pages=2–3 |url=https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/aqr_aamt_tire_reef_techncial_report.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Natural Resources]] |accessdate=March 14, 2025}}</ref> The degraded rope allowed disposed tires to create obstructions that damage habitats and harm Puget Sound wildlife; the state government began removing the tire piles in late 2024 at [[Tolmie State Park]]. An estimated 100,000 tires remain in Puget Sound at 14 identified sites.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jadran |first=Farah |date=March 10, 2025 |title=Sixty years later: More than 100,000 tires from failed reef plan are coming out of Puget Sound |url=https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/thousands-tires-failed-reef-plan-puget-sound/281-dae51aef-0db7-4ca0-9af4-7bd90f1afdf8 |publisher=KING 5 News |accessdate=March 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=October 24, 2024 |title=DNR Starts New Project to Remove Tens of Thousands of Polluting Tires from Puget Sound |url=https://www.dnr.wa.gov/news/dnr-starts-new-project-remove-tens-thousands-polluting-tires-puget-sound |publisher=Washington State Department of Natural Resources |accessdate=March 14, 2025}}</ref>

On May 22, 1978, a valve was mistakenly opened aboard the submarine [[USS Puffer (SSN-652)|USS ''Puffer'']], releasing up to 500 US gallons (1,900 L; 420 imp gal) of [[Radioactive contamination|radioactive water]] into Puget Sound, during an overhaul in [[Dry dock|drydock]] at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility|Bremerton Naval Shipyard]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kaplan |first=David B. |date=August 1983 |title=The Silent Saga of the Nuclear Navy |url=http://oc.itgo.com/kitsap/nuclear/clymer.htm |journal=Oceans Magazine |access-date=August 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827200112/http://oc.itgo.com/kitsap/nuclear/clymer.htm |archive-date=August 27, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>