The Washington State Department of Ecology is responding to new legal rulings and public concerns with changes in planning and potentially future enforcement. We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Funding for the series is provided in part by King County.
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Increasing concerns surround PFAS in products from wastewater treatment plants. How great a risk do they pose, and are there feasible approaches to removing them? We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Funding for the series is provided in part by King County.
A 2026 paper in the journal Environmental Management explores how salmon contribute to "sense of place" and regional identity among Puget Sound residents. The paper was produced by researchers at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Overview
Humpback whales have made a remarkable recovery in Puget Sound and throughout the Salish Sea. While their numbers vary through the season, they can be seen in almost any month of the year. In essence, this has been a return to waters they formerly used prior to commercial whaling that wiped out the local population. Humpback whales around
Untold numbers of hatchery fish may be dying from exposure to tire-contaminated runoff, according to a new study.
A 2025 paper in the journal Ecological Applications found that male cougars prefer to hunt in habitats where they are more likely to encounter humans. The authors hope the findings can be used to better understand and potentially minimize human-cougar conflicts.