By Marianne Lincoln It is a hidden place on private property now, but when the Naches Trail hosted wagons from Eastern to Western Washington in the 1850’s, the spring near the Trail’s end was a valuable resource. Officially, the Naches Trail ended at the Mahon Farm. Most of that farm later became the Brookdale Golf…
Category: wetlands
Chambers Bay Estuary, fish ladder repair and more
Before Chambers Creek becomes Chambers Bay, the water flow is blocked by an outdated dam. Built to provide electricity for a nearby paper plant that closed years ago, the dam is widely considered to be harming the ecosystem of the area. Pierce County Surface Water Management, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group and three local…
Tour of Chambers Creek Dam August 20
August Field Trip Join the Chambers Clover Watershed Council to learn about the Chambers Bay Estuary Restoration project’s efforts to remove the Chambers Creek dam. The dam is an active fish passage barrier, but this also requires replacing the existing Chambers Creek bridge, and restore roughly 180 acres of estuary habitat. This project will open…
Meridian 25mph at 280th Street fish passage construction
EATONVILLE – Travelers who use State Route 161 between Eatonville and Graham in Pierce County will see changes to the roadway this week. What to expectThe speed limit on SR 161 between mileposts 14.5 and 15.2 is lowered from 55 mph to 25 mph. (Roughly 274th to 280th) Temporary traffic signals will be in place…
Dupont, my testimony to everyone who disturbs an historic place
By Marianne Lincoln The following is the full written testimony I submitted to the Hearing’s Examiner for the City of Dupont as it considers the Pioneer Aggregates South Parcel Expansion Project. With 68 years of knowing Dupont and its history, I had several options of how to approach this topic. Don Russell, 96, left me…
Killing Sequalitchew, a watershed in danger
By Marianne Lincoln Sequalitchew Creek runs from Sequalitchew Lake, through Edmund Marsh, to Puget Sound’s Nisqually Reach, through the City of Dupont, Washington. This is the same Dupont where the Nisqually Indians lived and later welcomed and worked for the Hudson Bay Company at Fort Nisqually. The Fort had two sites above the Sequalitchew. The…
Why does the County lower American Lake?
By Don Russell “Is there a reason the County lowers the [American] lake level? Do they do this each year?” The answers to these questions are as follows; There is no rational basis or reason for the County to lower American Lake water level. Yes, they do this each year. Let me explain. In my lifetime I have…
June 18 Seminar on toxic algae
Join your neighbors to learn what causes toxic algae! • Get the toxic algae basics.• Learn what you can do to prevent algae.• How can natural yard care help? Join the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department from 6-8 p.m. on June 18 in the Alder Room at Sprinker Recreation Center! You can also join online…
Habitat Stewardship opportunities at CPTC
Just a reminder about the habitat stewardship event on Clover Park Technical College’s (CPTC) Flett Property this Saturday, June 7th from 9:00 AM to noon! The attached flyer with pertinent details and all of the 2025 dates for our remaining habitat stewardship events, July 19, August 9, October 11, November 15, and December 6. For this event, we will focus on removal…
May 23 court reconsideration hearing for Spanaway Concerned Citizens
UPDATE: The Court stood by its decision, 5/23/2025, 9:34 a.m. Testifying were Atty David Bricklin for Spanaway Concerned Citizens, Atty Margaret Archer for TRM, and Dave Owen for Pierce County. The Honorable Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy has asked for responses from Tacoma Rescue Mission and Pierce County to our motion for reconsideration,…
April 19 Flett Creek work party
There is a habitat stewardship event on CPTC’s Flett Property this Saturday, April 19th from 9:00 AM to noon in celebration of Earth Day! The flyer is below with pertinent details and all of the 2025 dates for the remaining habitat stewardship events for CPTC. For this event, we will focus on removal of invasive plant species (focus on scotch broom…
Is the Good Neighbor Village being a good neighbor?
SPANAWAWY CONCERNED CITIZENS — We still have a real chance to stop the “Good Neighbor Village” project—and we are not giving up! Spanaway Concerned Citizens has filed a motion in Thurston County Superior Court, asking the Honorable Judge Carol Murphy to reconsider her recent dismissal of our Land Use Petition Act (“LUPA”) challenge. This motion…
