User:SounderBruce/Sandbox/Geography

=Snohomish River=

The Snohomish River (also known as Sinnahamis and Tuxpam) is a river in northwestern Washington in the United States. The Snohomish, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe, flows for 20 mi in Snohomish County, entering Port Gardner Bay between Everett and Marysville. The river and its tributaries drain a watershed area of 1,978 sqmi, including the west side of the Cascade Mountains from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass.

History

 * Recent tidal restoration; engineered log jams

History

 * Predominant Coast Salish peoples: Snohomish (Sdoh-doh-hohbsh); other tribes: Stillaguamish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Sauk-Suiattle
 * 1792: Vancouver expedition
 * 1853: Tulalip Bay settled by pioneers and trappers
 * 1855: Point Elliott Treaty signed at Mukilteo
 * 1861-01-14: Split from Island County; Mukilteo named temporary seat
 * 1861: Cadyville (Snohomish) elected as county seat
 * 1890s: Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads arrive, creating new towns
 * 1894: Everett becomes county seat in contested election; not settled until 1896
 * Everett grows into predominant city in county, eclipsing Snohomish and Edmonds
 * Since 1960s: suburbanization of southwest (and later north) county, influenced by Seattle/Bellevue/Boeing

Geography
Snohomish County is part of the Puget Sound region of Western Washington, bordered to the south by King County, to the west by Puget Sound and other inland waters, to the north by Skagit County, and to the east by the Chelan County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total square area of approximately 2,196 sqmi, of which 2087 sqmi is land and 109 sqmi (5.0%) is water. It is the 13th largest county in Washington by land area and is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island.


 * 13th by land area, 7th by density
 * "Forest lands make up over 18% of the county's total area"
 * 68% forest, 18% rural, 9% urban, 5% agricultural
 * Urban sprawl
 * Farmland in river valleys
 * Glacial formation
 * Sand and gravel deposits
 * Described in Soil Survey (1947)
 * Five major river watersheds
 * Glacier Peak: lahar threat
 * Mudslides
 * Local fault lines
 * Natural disaster response risk
 * Local geology: Intercity Plateau south of Everett; Snohomish River Valley; foothills

Cities and communities

 * "20 towns and cities classified as urban" (UGAs)
 * Annexation conflicts between cities competing for the same areas, e.g. Arlington and Marysville

Ecology

 * 2023: F on air quality report

Demographics

 * Recent growth outside cities
 * 1990s growth
 * Between 2007 and 2017, an increase of over 100,000 people
 * Projected to grow to 938,000 residents by 2025 (did not pan out); buildable lands could support 760,000 within existing urban growth areas
 * Social Vulnerability Index

Economy

 * Top employers (2021): Boeing, Providence, Kroger; county, Tulalip, NS Everett
 * Manufacturing industry (Boeing, et al)
 * Green industries
 * Employment outlook: Recovery from high losses
 * Recession: grew to 424,271 jobs by 2017
 * Retail: Malls at Alderwood, Everett, Marysville (outlets); smaller retail centers, including ethnic enclaves
 * Farmers markets: Arlington, Everett, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, Stanwood and Sultan (listed SNAP matches)
 * Cascade Industrial Center formed by Arlington and Marysville on sites originally planned for UW campus and later NASCAR

Law and government

 * Special districts: PTBA, RTA, fire, utilities?
 * Interactive map of various districts
 * Fire districts map
 * Everett and Mukilteo are the last remaining city fire departments


 * County flag: created in 1988 during competition by Mukilteo resident
 * Cities using council-manager system: five as of 2015, with several failed attempts
 * Marysville rejected in 2002
 * Sales taxes: 10.6% rate in highest cities, among highest in WA
 * City proposal for Maltby; last new city was Mill Creek in 1983, far sooner than King County

Military

 * Naval Station Everett and support complex
 * Jim Creek Naval Radio Station
 * Former military facilities

Parks and recreation

 * Parks department established on March 4, 1963, oversees 100 properties
 * First park owned by county: Squire Creek near Arlington, acquired in 1926
 * Tourism: 95% in-state

Religion

 * Granite Falls shrine
 * Bothell-area mosque and Hindu temple
 * Catholic parishes merged in 2024

Education

 * Largest school districts have enrollment decline since COVID
 * County leads state in new schools (2007)
 * 68 private schools (13 private high schools) as of 2018
 * Higher education: 4-year college proposed for Arlington area in 1960s but instead awarded to Olympia (to become Evergreen State College)
 * Tried again with UW North Sound, lost to Everett before plan was scrapped
 * WSU Everett: expansion into separate campus halted in 2023

Transportation

 * Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services (2015, revised 2018)
 * Grid system based off Everett's
 * Old road names remain in some areas

Utilities

 * PUD for all electricity; Puget Sound Energy for 150,000 natural gas customers
 * Map of pipelines and utility corridors
 * Garbage collectors map (Herald notes)
 * Broadband infrastructure lacking in rural areas, addressed with state/county grants
 * TV providers: Comcast, Ziply, Wave; satellite
 * SnoCo TV planned to launch in 2025 with government programming

Health care

 * Snohomish Health District merged into Snohomish County government effective January 1, 2023
 * Uninsured rate of 7% for under-65 adults (2022), ranks sixth among counties with health insurance

Location and ecology

 * Prone to landslides

History

 * 1950s proposal to develop housing (Soundway) near proposed freeway
 * 2003: Nature Consortium begins planting of native trees

2016 incident

 * Background: "extreme pruning" in West Seattle
 * 2016-03-25: 150 maple trees in 3200 block of 35th Avenue SW cut down without permits
 * City seeks felony charges against homeowners who ordered the move, benefiting with less obstructed views
 * 2016-09: City sues homeowners for $1.6 million

Geography

 * Wildfires

History

 * Resources
 * Online collection
 * German Wikipedia
 * HistoryLink: Timeline (until 1850); (1851 to 1900); (1901 to 1950); (since 1951)


 * Pre-colonization (until 1774)
 * 13,000 years ago: Native Americans arrive
 * 1700: Cascadia earthquake


 * Exploration and British colonization (1770–1846)
 * Juan de Fuca?
 * 1774: Juan Perez expedition
 * 1775: Claimed for Spain by Don Bruna de Heceta
 * Claim voided by 1790 Nootka Conventions
 * 1778: James Cook exepdition
 * 1792: George Vancouver expedition
 * 1792: Robert Gray expedition into Columbia River
 * 1805: William and Clark expedition from Idaho to Astoria
 * Hudson Bay Company establishes Fort Vancouver
 * 1818: Treaty establishes 49th parallel border east of Rockies; joint occupancy of "Oregon Country" declared and renewed annually
 * 1846: Oregon Treaty


 * American settlement (1846–1889)
 * 1848: Oregon Territory established
 * 1853: Washington Territory established
 * 1851: Seattle founded


 * Early statehood (1889–1910)
 * 1889: Statehood granted
 * Anti-Chinese riots


 * Early 20th century (1910–1945)
 * Labor conflicts
 * Rise of Boeing and aerospace industry
 * WPA and Great Depression: Grand Coulee Dam
 * WWII manufacturing and nuclear works at Hanford


 * Post-war (1946–1980)
 * 1969: Boeing in Everett


 * Contemporary Washington (1980–present)
 * Microsoft and tech industry
 * Loss of Boeing in 2000s
 * Rise of Amazon in Seattle, affordability crisis

Demographics

 * Life expectancy: highest in San Juan County, lower in Eastern WA

Economy

 * Housing shortages in urban and rural areas
 * Average of 46,500 homes built annually from 2020 to 2023, meeting projections but earlier years were too low
 * Lack of tourism agency; last major campaign was "Say WA" in 2006

Environmental sustainability

 * Carbon market implemented in 2023 by I-2117
 * Common market with California and Quebec proposed

Infrastructure

 * Energy Risk Profile (DoE)

Transportation

 * Intercity buses
 * BNSF operates 1,335 miles (44% of freight tracks in the state)

Culture

 * Libraries in high use, especially digital

Housing

 * Zoning Policy in the Puget Sound (2022)
 * Half of new housing (as of 2022) permitted is near transit, but a third of land is restricted to SFH

=Quilceda Creek=

Quilceda Creek, also known as Quil Ceda Creek (Lushootseed: q̓ʷəl̕sidəʔ), is a minor creek in Marysville, Washington, United States.


 * 11 miles long, several tributaries: Quilceda Creek include Edgecomb Creek, Olaf Straad Creek, the SmokeyPoint Channel, Middle Fork Quilceda Creek, and West Fork Quilceda Creek

Description and layout

 * Seattle's "town square"

Events

 * Downtown Seattle Association programming
 * Speeches and protests
 * "Where Seattle goes to fight with itself"

Public transit

 * Might belong in Westlake Center instead


 * Transit hub: Tunnel, monorail, buses, streetcar
 * Bus stop on 4th Ave side with bus lane installed

History

 * First park (Clark Park) established in 1894 for $30,000
 * Originally City Park, renamed for businessman in 1931

Major parks

 * "District parks": Forest Park, Kasch, Langus, Thornton A Sullivan (Silver Lake)
 * Community parks: American Legion, Howarth, Phil Johnson, Rotary, Henry M Jackson, Walter E Hall
 * Other categories: Neighborhood, Mini/Special, Open Space, Trails

Everett is home to 40 parks. The biggest parks are Walter E. Hall Park at 137 acre, Forest Park at 111 acre, Langus Riverfront Park at 96 acre, Kasch Park at 60 acre, Howarth Park at 28 acre, and Thornton A. Sullivan Park at 27 acre. Walter E. Hall Park, near the Boeing plant, sports a golf course and a skate park; Forest Park, a swimming pool, hockey, horseshoes, miles of trails and an animal farm; Langus Park, a boat launch; Kasch Park, four softball fields; Howarth Park, a sandy beach on Puget Sound; and Thornton A. Sullivan Park hosts a sandy swimming beach on Silver Lake as well as public docks for fishing.

Forest Park
Forest Park, located southwest of Downtown Everett is the largest park in the city system, at 197 acre. The park is situated along Pigeon Creek, with recreational facilities on a plateau overlooking the ravine and several miles of hiking trails. It was acquired by the city in 1894 and named Forest Park in 1913. A public zoo was established at Forest Park in 1914 by parks director Oden Hall, who collected animals through trades and gifts from other zoos and traveling circuses. The zookeeper position was eliminated in 1958 and the zoo was demolished in 1962 after three bond issues to upgrade the facilities failed. Forest Park's main facilities were built during the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, including the Floral Hall, playgrounds, terrace hillsides, and picnic shelters. A public swimming pool was opened at Forest Park in 1975 and replaced by a permanent structure in 1984. Major renovations of the facilities in the park were completed in 1997 and 2020.

Jetty Island

 * Formed beginning in 1903
 * Dredging meant for locks project
 * City opens access in 1965

Jetty Island is a man-made island and park located in the Puget Sound, just off the Everett, Washington waterfront. The island is two miles long and half a mile wide, approximately 1,800 acres. The island has no plumbing, electricity or structures. During the summer months, a ferry becomes operational, allowing transportation to and from the island. A floating restroom also becomes operational off the island's shore. Jetty Island's unique features provide excellent habitat for birds and juvenile salmon. The island is home to more than 45 bird species including osprey, shorebirds, hawks, eagles, cormorants and ducks. Visitors may see seals surfacing or lounging near the water's edge, or even witness gray whales swimming past during spring migration.

Nishiyama Garden
Nishiyama Garden is a traditional Japanese garden located at the Nippon Business Institute at Everett Community College. It features Sukiya-style wooden gates, gravel paths, stones, trees, a small stream and a portion of the famous Kintai Bridge from Iwakuni, Japan, one of Everett's sister cities.

Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens
Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens (2.4 acre) is an arboretum and park located at the south end of Legion Park, at the intersection of Alverson and Marine View Drive. Gardens include sculpture and vistas of Puget Sound, as well as:


 * Conifer garden – includes Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Pfitzeriana Aurea, Picea glauca, and Strobus 'Nana'.
 * Dahlia garden – a variety of dahlias.
 * Japanese Maple grove – 17 varieties of maples, with ferns and hydrangeas.
 * Perennial border – includes artichoke (Cynara scolymus), Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra), giant hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), dwarf waterlily (Nymphaea), and New Zealand flax (Phormium cookianum).
 * Small Urban Tree Walk
 * White border – flowers and foliage in white, silver, and blue.
 * Woodland garden – grotto with Knadhill and Exbury azaleas, lace-cap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), and Pieris japonica.

Silver Lake

 * Former resort
 * SR 527 widening project in 2006

Neighborhood parks

 * Grand Avenue Park
 * Stairs to mills removed in 1960s
 * Pedestrian bridge installed in 2019 (opening in 2020), proposed since 1990s

Other parks

 * Beaches
 * Scenic views
 * Golf and sports

History

 * Proposed Terrys Corner shopping mall in 1970s–90s

Culture

 * Art studios
 * Historic places around Ustalady?
 * NRHP listings: Cama Beach, Site 45-IS-2 (Cama Beach archaeological site), Kristoferson Dairy, Utsalady Ladies Aid Building
 * State Historic Register: Camano Lutheran Church, Magelssen/Johan Barn, Camano City Schoolhouse, Mabana School

Transportation
Camano Island is connected to mainland Washington by State Route 532, which travels from the north end of the island to Stanwood via two bridges over the Davis Slough and Stillaguamish River. The island has several connecting roads that travel along the west and east edges to various neighborhoods and the two state parks. Island Transit operates free bus services connecting Camano Island to Stanwood, with onward connections to Mount Vernon, Amtrak Cascades, and Everett.

Several proposals for alternate ferry connections to Coupeville and Everett have been rejected by local residents and potential operators.

The island has two small airfields, Livingston Bay Airport and Camano Island Airfield, both located in the northeast.

=Washington State Veterans Cemetery=

The Washington State Veterans Cemetery is a state-run military veterans cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington, near Spokane. It is operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs and was opened in 2010.

Description

 * Volunteer honor guard and maintenance
 * Upkeep performed by state
 * Located near Fairchild AFB
 * 1,000 crypts, 5,700 columbarium niches

History

 * Proposed in 2006 to serve eastern Washington, which has 140K veterans
 * Federal VA proposes Spokane area cemetery under funding program
 * Funded in 2007 with passage of House Bill 1292
 * First state veterans cemetery in Washington; built a decade after Tahoma National Cemetery
 * 2007: WDVA selects Medical Lake site for Eastern Washington Veterans Cemetery
 * Other sites considered: North Idaho, Salnave Road; meant to supplement closed cemeteries in Western WA
 * 2008: Six design plans submitted
 * May 2009: Construction begins
 * $9.5 million and 80 acres; funded by $8 federal grant and state revenue from armed forces license plate fee
 * May 31, 2010: Opened by Governor Gregoire