Hood Canal Dead Zone

Hood Canal began to suffer from major fish kills in 2003. Studies concluded that oxygen levels were dangerously low rendering sections of the canal "dead zones". A dead zone is defined as an area of water containing low levels of oxygen in which fish, plants, and other aquatic life find it difficult or impossible to survive. The oxygen levels have been depleted by the rapid population growth and development in the region. This change in the ecosystem has caused some invasive species to thrive, and take over. Tunicates have exploded in Hood Canal covering the bottom in an eerie slime, displacing native species, and destroying shellfish operations. Before the 1980's, homes on Hood canal were used primarily as second homes on weekends, while today the population has more than doubled, and the towns have become bedroom communities for Seattle, Tacoma and Bremerton. The sources of pollution causing the dead zones are multiple and difficult to isolate. One huge problem is that nearly all the homes on the canal are served by septic systems. Scientists believe that nitrogen in the canal comes from failed septic systems which leach sewage into the water. Other sources of pollution in the canal include auto emissions, fertilizers, and storm water runoff. Hood Canal is actually a glacially-carved fjord not a canal, and the bathymetry doesn't allow the water to exchange easily with the tides. In some sections, it can take a year for the water to clean itself out. There have always been small areas of low oxygen in the canal, but these areas were seasonal lasting only a few weeks or months. Today the dead zones have grown dramatically and last year-round. The challenge to clean up Hood Canal is a huge one and will involve the participation of individual landowners and citizens as well as large scale plans to address growth and development in the area.