Bellingham Bay Defined:

Bellingham Bay is described the area between the Nooksack River delta and Post Point in Fairhaven

Includes three navigation waterways (Whatcom I&J, and Squalicum)

Bellingham Bay is an estuary system in the northeasterly portion of Puget Sound with a north-south orientation. To the east the boundary is formed by Chuckanut mountains, and the City of Bellingham . Lummi peninsula forms the northern boundary, while Portage Island, Lummi Island and Eliza Island form the western boundary. To the south, the boundary of Bellingham Bay is arbitrary as it is is continuous with Samish Bay to the south. The bay is approximately 70 square miles in area, being about 11 miles in length and 5 miles in width. Bellingham Bay has approximately 40 miles of shoreline. The area between high water and mean lower low water is approximately 16 square miles.

Water depths throughout the bay are relatively constant. The basin of Bellingham Bay is approximately 20 meters . Shallower areas are found towards the Nooksack delta. Deeper areas are found easterly of Eliza Island (where a relatively narrow trench with depths of to 60 meters is found) and around Post Point. Here small depressions to 30 meters are found.

Bellingham Bay is a complex estuary system. There are 5 fresh water sources that contribute to the overall structure and function of the estuary. These are the Nooksack River (check flow rates), Whatcom Creek, Squalicum Creek, Padden Creek, and Chuckanut Creek. Each of these fresh water systems contributes to the total estuary system in separate ways.

Nooksack River: The Nooksack River dominates the estuary. The fresh water lens of this river may extend in a layer up to 5 feet thick 4 miles from the river mouth. Mixing of the fresh water layer wit the salt below occurs when energy of tidal action or wind is adequate. In general the northerly half of the bay is covered with the fresh water layer. Mixing occurs in the middle layers, the exact location being influenced greatly by the state of tide height, wind velocity and amount of flow of the river.

In general, flooding tides result in a movement of surface waters towards the north in the westerly side of the bay, and ebbing tides a surface flow towards the south on the easterly side of the bay. Surface circulation is not well understood but its influenced markedly by wind a river flow conditions. (Insert diagram) Generally, however, surface currents moving a clockwise direction.

The net flow of water on the surface is to the south out of the bay and into Rosario Channel. The movement of the fresh water over the bulk of the salt water builds up a circulation "cell" so that the amount of water moving out of the bay far exceeds the flow of the Nooksack River. Deeper water in the bay flows in a northerly direction. Near the mouth of the Nooksack the deeper water moves to the surface to replace water moving out. The movement of deeper water to the surface probably results in higher nutrient levels that promotes primary productivity.

Nooksack Delta: A second important dimension of the Bellingham Bay estuary resulting from the Nooksack River is the formation of a large delta system. Prior to about 1900, the Nooksack River emptied into Lummi Bay as well as Bellingham Bay. In the early 1900ís, flow of the river was stabilized in to Bellingham Bay. With the development of widespread agricultural and logging practices in the Nooksack River, sediment carried by the river has significantly increased in the lst 50 - 75 years. This increased sediment load is reflected in a very rapid growth of the Nooksack delta. During the last 100 years, the delta has extended into Bellingham Bay over 1 mile.

Squalicum Creek: Squalicum Creek has a relatively small fresh water contribution to Bellingham Bay (cite cfs flow). consequently its impact on water quality in the bay is minimal. The delta system of Squalicum Creek has been significantly altered. The present discharge point of the creek was established around 1950. There is currently no intertidal areas associated with the creek.

Whatcom Creek: Whatcom Creek is the major transportation waterway in Bellingham Harbor. The waterway is lined on both sides with industrial and commercial activities. Whatcom Creek tidelands that have not been filled are used for log storage and the benthic habitat is under considerable stress. Whatcom Creek has a discharge flow of 88 cfs mean flow. This, combined with the discharge effluent of Georgia Pacific (77 cfs average flow) results in total fresh water flow of around 160 cfs. check these numbers.

This is the second largest fresh water flow into Bellingham Bay but is still small compared with the Nooksack River.

Chuckanut Creek: Chuckanut Creek, like the other small fresh water drainage systems into Bellingham Bay, does not contribute a significant amount of fresh water (1.5cfs). The delta system of Chuckanut Creek, however, is large and in a more natural condition than deltas of any of the other small drainage systems into the bay. The delta of Chuckanut Creek is protected from the wave action of Bellingham Bay by a railroad right-of-way. Sediments carried by the creek have formed extensive mud flats. At the easterly border of the Chuckanut Creek delta is an important fresh water marsh area. The mud flat is highly productive containing large numbers of mussels, polychaetes and dungeness crab. The delta area is extremely important as a wildlife area and is used extensively by migratory waterfowl.

Each of the four small creeks emptying into Bellingham Bay has been modified. In 3 of them (Squalicum, Whatcom, Padden) modification has virtually destroyed the natural biological system. Only Chuckanut Creek persists as a viable productive estuary system.

with a moderate amount of modification and development. The City of Bellingham with approximately 60,000 people has much of its industrial base established on lands that were once part of the delta systems of small creeks entering the bay.

Much of Bellingham Bay persists in a natural condition. The Nooksack River delta is one of the largest natural river deltas remaining in the State of Washington. Although the marine habitats surrounding the city are highly stressed, Bellingham Bas as a total estuary system still functions.

Currently water quality conditions in the Bellingham Bay estuary are improving. Within the last ten years secondary treatment facilities have been established for domestic wastes of the City of Bellingham and the industrial effluents of Georgia Pacific pulp and paper mill. The areas of the bay used for log rafting are decreasing, reducing the pressure of this stress on intertidal and benthic habitats.