News: A salmon was spotted near the small dam in Chambers Creek. This is since the recent allowance of 532 Chinook salmon over the Dam at Chamber Bay. Conversations are occurring online between the members of Pierce County Surface Water Management (PCSWM), the Chambers Clover Watershed Council (CCWC), and the Clover Creek Restoration Alliance (CCRA)…
Category: wetlands
Condition of Spanaway Lake
UPDATED: Corrections to current data.) These pictures are the condition of Spanaway Lake four weeks after the second EutroSORB G application this year to prevent Spanaway Lake’s annually recurring harmful cyanobacteria blooms, September 9, 2025. The Health Department closed the lake on August 20, 2024. https://tpchd.org/news/spanaway-lake-closed-because-of-toxic-algae/ In 2025, the lake has only been under an advisory. https://tpchd.org/environment/surface-water/advisories/…
New Book Published about the Nisqually Delta
A new book, Saving the Nisqually Delta, chronicles the decades-long citizen activism that saved the Nisqually Delta from industrialization. Located eight miles northeast of Olympia, Washington, the Nisqually Delta is one of the country’s last unspoiled estuaries. Author Janine Gates, an Olympia-based journalist and photographer, is best known for her community news blog, Little Hollywood,…
Watershed Festival looking for participants
Cities, Environmental organizations, water companies, anyone with a connection to water and environment is welcome to come to the first Chambers Clover Watershed Festival on Saturday, October 11. Of course, the public is also invited to see all the resources designed to use and protect our water supply. The festival will begin with a work…
Clover-Chambers Watershed Festival – celebrating our local water resources, Oct 11
On October 11, the Clover Creek Restoration Alliance (CCRA) and Clover Chamber Watershed Council (CCWC) are holding their first ever Watershed Festival. The Clover-Chambers Watershed Festival will be held on the grounds of Clover Park Technical College’s Natural Resources Laboratory and Research Park. That location is across Steilacoom Blvd. from the college, along Flett Creek….
The spring at Camp Montgomery
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…
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…
April 5 Spaghetti Feed for legal fees
1. SCAN our QR CODE BELOW. 2. MAIL DONATIONS DIRECTLY to SPANAWAY CONCERNED CITIZENS: Spanaway Concerned Citizens P.O. Box 562 or scan our QR Code Spanaway, WA 98387 *We are a 501-C4. Contributions are not tax deductible. 3. ONLINE DONATIONS: https://spanawayconcernedcitizens.com/ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. Or through: FRIENDS OF SPANAWAY LAKE (FOSL) MAIL DONATIONS TO: Friends of Spanaway Lake (FOSL) *Make Checks payable to FOSL (Please note, SCC in…
Spanaway in Court, Friday, March 28
Today marks a significant and long-awaited moment in our effort to preserve Spanaway Marsh. We deeply appreciate everyone who can attend, whether in person or virtually. Your presence reflects the urgency of protecting this invaluable natural resource for future generations. Friday, March 28, 2025 Hearing Time: 1:30 p.m. Judicial Officer: The Honorable Judge, Carol Murphy How to…
Why We Care about Spanaway Marsh
by Claudia Finseth HAPPINESS, FOR ONE THING Last week the annual list of the happiest countries in the world came out. For the eighth time in a row that designation went to Finland. The United States of America came in way down the line. We are not, generally, a happy people. One of the main…