Ship Canal/Lake Union Subarea

Why is this Subarea Important to Salmon?

Ship CanalLand use in this subarea consists primarily of water-dependent commercial and industrial uses, such as marinas, commercial shipyards, and commercial and residential development bordering the shoreline of Lake Union. Relatively little is known about the natural history of salmon that utilize Lake Union for transportation and juvenile rearing. However all naturally produced anadromous fish in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish watershed use Lake Union as a migratory passageway to Puget Sound.

There is thought to be little if any successful spawning in Lake Union. Factors contributing to the decline of salmon habitat in this subarea include predation, degradation of riparian habitat conditions and poor water quality.

The Ship Canal/Lake Union Subarea includes these local jurisdictions:

Follow the external links to learn what each jurisdiction is doing to improve habitat for salmon.
* Indicates that volunteer opportunities or other specific salmon related information are available on this site.

Salmon habitat projects in the Ship Canal/Lake Union Subarea funded through the WRIA 8 collaborative process are now included in the Habitat Work Schedule (HWS) state-wide website. In the website, click on the WRIA 8 watershed on the state map to enter our HWS website.