Freshwater DataStream

Station 17F050 Description

The Salmon Creek basin is approximately 18.8 square miles. Originating near Mt. Zion in the Olympic range, Salmon Creek generally drains east to the Strait of Juan De Fuca at the south end of Discovery Bay, immediately west of the mouth of Snow Creek. The geology of the upper basin is predominantly basalt and glacial outwash. It is less vulnerable to mass wasting and erosion than the adjacent Snow Creek headwaters because basalt and breccia underlies this upper canyon reach. The lower valley is characterized by sand, gravel, and clay deposited during glaciation. Material transported from the upper watershed forms a broad alluvial fan. Originally, Salmon Creek was joined by Snow Creek at RM 0.6, but Snow Creek now flows separately to the estuary through an artificial channel. Salmon Creek consists of 8.7 miles of mainstem channel and 21.8 miles of tributary streams.