Carbaryl, Carbofuran, and Methomyl - National Marine Fisheries ...

than previously anticipated.
Chinook salmon that are resident in Puget Sound (a result of hatchery practices and
natural migration patterns) are several times more contaminated with persistent
bioaccumulative contaminants than other salmon populations along the West Coast
(Collier, O'Neill et al. 2006). Because of associated human health concerns, fish
consumption guidelines for Puget Sound salmon are under review by the Washington
State Department of Health.
Extremely high levels of chemical contaminants are also found in Puget Sound’s top
predators, including harbor seals and ESA-listed southern resident killer whales (Collier,
O'Neill et al. 2006). In addition to carrying elevated loads of toxic chemicals in their
tissues, Puget Sound’s biota also show a wide range of adverse health outcomes
associated with exposure to chemical contaminants. They include widespread cancer and
reproductive impairment in bottom fish, increased susceptibility to disease in juvenile
salmon, acute die-offs of adult salmon returning to spawn in urban watersheds, and egg
and larval mortality in a variety of fish. Given current regional projections for population
growth and coastal development, the loadings of chemical contaminants into Puget Sound
will increase dramatically in future years.
Land Use
The Puget Sound Lowland contains the most densely populated area of Washington. The
regional population in 2003 was an estimated 3.8 million people, with 86% residing in
King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties (Snohomish, Cedar-Sammamish Basin, Green-
Duwamish, and Puyallup River watersheds). The area is expected to attract 4 to 6 million
new human residents in the next 20 years (Ruckelshaus and McClure 2007). The
Snohomish River watershed, one of the fastest growing watersheds in the region,
increased about 16% in the same period.
Land use in the Puget Sound lowland is composed of agricultural areas (including forests
for timber production), urban areas (industrial and residential use), and rural areas (low
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