Discovery Bay Ecosystem
- Admiralty Inlet
- Comox Coast
- Discovery Islands
- East Sound
- Fraser Lowlands
- Gulf Islands
- Hood Canal
- Qualicum Coast
- San Juan Islands
- South Puget Sound
- South Vancouver Island
- Squamish
- Strait of Juan de Fuca
- Sunshine Coast
- West Sound
- Whidbey Basin
- Salish Sea References
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The Discovery Bay ecosystem is anchored where the two relatively protected shoreline process unit 1010 and 1011 converge at the Snow-Salmon Watershed Ecosystem. Shoreline process units (SPU) 1008 and 1009 converge to form the Beckett Point Beach Ecosystem, and SPU 1014 and 1015 converge, forming the Diamond Point Beach Ecosystem, framing the mouth of Discovery Bay. Within the bay, SPU 1012 and 1013 converge at Contractors Creek forming the Contractors Point Beach Ecosystem. A number of significant barrier-type embayments are embedded in these three beach complexes, all still present, although degraded to varying degrees, excepting the Cape George site which has been converted to a marina. In general, shoreline armoring is relatively low and shoreline development focussed at the mouth of the bay, and in the Snow-Salmon Estuary.
The Chimacum Creek-Port Townsend Bay Ecosystem is located to the northeast, Jimmycomelately-Sequim Bay Ecosystem to the west. Over the divide to the south are the Quilcene and Tarboo ecosystems.
Notes[edit]
- This division of Discovery Bay into three beach complexes and the Snow-Salmon Watershed and inlet system is by no means rigid. Perhaps ecosystem management would better served by division of beach systems.
- The whole system falls within Jefferson County except the Diamond Point area which is within Clallam County.
- How is this system treated under Jefferson County's recent Shoreline Management Plan?
- Embayments at Eagle Creek and Contractor Creek are natal estuaries for small runs of coho, coastal cutthroat and in Contractors Creek, steelhead. Correa 2002 provides a narrative assessment of their poor condition.
