Duwamish River: Its Place in the Seattle Industrial Plan

Abstract

S EATTLE, port of the Pacific, is located 125 nautical miles from the ocean. It is fortunate in its situation for it lies on a large deep bay on the east side of the protected waters of Puget Sound (Fig. 1). This inland sea is doubly sheltered; first, from the battering of ocean waves by the narrow entry of Juan de Fuca and by the numerous islands at the head of the Sound; second, from the effects of strong winds by the shield of encircling mountains on three sides. The city is unique in that it has, in addition to the saltwater harbors of Elliott and Salmon Bays, two inland fresh-water harbors, Lakes Union and Washington, in the heart of the city itself. Connected with Salmon Bay on Puget Sound by canals and locks, these lakes not only increase the port facilities and permit the movement of goods by water within the city itself but also, because of these facts, serve as a focus for industry. Particularly is this true of Lake Union. Shipyards, machine works, and dry-docks, which build new vessels and recondition old ones, are but some of the industries that occupy frontage on this lake. Seattle's only river, the Duwamish, enters the southern tip of Elliott Bay through a swampy and shallow estuary (Fig. 2). With its low gradient and meandering course it was valuable for many years largely as a transport artery for logs and for agricultural produce. During the first forty years of the city's existence there was no suggestion that it offered possibilities for industrial development. Long considered to be primarily commercial in its economy, this Northwest port has a shipping function that has assumed a size apparent even to casual observers. Seattle has 193 miles of water front. The principal shipping activities are conducted in the saltwater harbor consisting of Elliott Bay and East, West, and Duwamish Waterways. The total area of this salt-water harbor is 8.28 square miles, with a shore frontage of 53.38 miles. Elliott Bay is one of the best natural harbors in the world. Engineer reports rank Seattle eighth in commerce of United States' ports. Because the Pacific Northwest produces goods needed in Alaska and because of Seattle's location with respect to this northern outpost, the port has become the gateway to the developing and strategically-important Territory of Alaska. Trans-Pacific trade is likewise of considerable volume in normal times. Unlike many other western cities, Seattle was manufactural almost from the start. The sawmill, still prominent in the local economy, was normally located on piling at the edge of deep water where lumber could be loaded directly on vessels for export to California or the Hawaiian Islands. There