Flowing off the slopes of Mount Rainier, the White River forms the boundary between King and Pierce County, and flows into the Puyallup River near Sumner. The White River and its tributaries are spawning grounds for endangered Chinook Salmon, as well as Pink, Chum, and Coho Salmon, and Rainbow, Steelhead and Cutthroat Trout.
The river is part of Water Resource Inventory Area 10 (WRIA10), which is one of sixty-two watershed planning areas established by the Department of Ecology and Washington’s natural resource agencies. WRIA10 spans both King and Pierce County and includes the White and Puyallup river basins.
King Conservation District partners with other agencies to assist landowners in the watershed to respond to a wide range of issues, including about flooding, drainage, salmon recovery, invasive weeds, soil health, and degraded water quality.
Department of Ecology Water Quality Program
KCD and Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) collaborate on outreach to landowners in the White River watershed to address water quality concerns. Ecology prioritized streams with the biggest water quality problems for further investigation, and this is the start of an effort to implement water cleanup plans for the watershed.
Ecology staff will be working with landowners near Boise, Pussyfoot, and Second creeks to identify and remediate fecal coliform, temperature and nutrient water quality pollution sources. Ecology staff will soon be conducting field surveys in these watersheds and will meet with landowners to discuss agricultural and water quality Best Management Practices. Ecology and KCD staff will help landowners meet both water quality protection and production and livestock management goals, while honoring landowners’ privacy throughout the process.
While compliance with water quality law is the purpose of the site visits, Ecology and King Conservation District may be able provide both technical and financial assistance. Information about financial assistance can be found here:
- Washington State Department of Ecology Water quality grants and loans
- King Conservation District Landowner Assistance Program
Ecology will also partner with King Conservation District and agriculture groups to host workshops so producers can learn about the current health of their watershed, and the resources available to promote a productive operation and protect water quality.
If you have questions about this water cleanup effort or would like assistance with improving water quality on your property, contact Anne Baxter, Nonpoint Pollution Water Quality Specialist, at anne.baxter@ecy.wa.gov or 360-742-9704, or Carrie King, KCD Farm Services Program Manager, at carrie.king@kingcd.org or 425-773-1964.
Additional Information
Learn about the White River Watershed
More information about water cleanup plans can be found at Ecology’s website:
The links below provide information about Ecology’s field work to improve water quality: