Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Padilla Bay is "reserved" for research and education about Puget Sound.

Spanning eight miles in length and three miles across, this estuary is located at the saltwater edge of the large delta of the Skagit River, and is noted for excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

Over the years, the Reserve has purchased properties within the proposed boundary only from willing sellers. The original major private owner of tidelands, the Orion Corporation, settled an eleven-year litigation effort with the State in 1993 and their 8,004 acres were transferred to the Department of Ecology for a sum of $3.6 million. As of 2003, the Reserve owned over 11,000 acres of tidelands and marshlands within the proposed boundary. Washington State Department of Ecology is responsible for the administration and on-site management of the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Explore Related Categories