Budd Inlet

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Budd Inlet
East Bay, the SE lobe of Budd Inlet.jpg
Looking south toward East Bay
USA Washington relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Budd Inlet
Location Thurston County, Washington
Coordinates 47°5′39″N122°54′48.7″W / 47.09417°N 122.913528°W / 47.09417; -122.913528
Type Inlet
Part of South Puget Sound
River sources Deschutes River
Ocean/sea sources Salish Sea
Max. length6.84 mi (11.01 km)
Max. width1.86 mi (2.99 km)
Sections/sub-basinsWest Bay, East Bay

Budd Inlet is an inlet located at the southern end of Puget Sound in Thurston County, Washington. It is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound. [1]

Contents

Etymology

Budd Inlet was named by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition, to honor Thomas A. Budd, who served as acting master of the Peacock and Vincennes. [2] A portion of the coast of Antarctica, Budd Coast, is also named for Thomas Budd.

History

Overlooking Olympia and Budd Inlet, 1893 Bird's-eye view of Olympia, capital of the State of Washington, overlooking the head of Puget Sound, 1893 (WASTATE 2194).jpg
Overlooking Olympia and Budd Inlet, 1893

Historically, the shores surrounding Budd Inlet were occupied by village sites of the Steh-Chass (or Stehchass), Lushootseed-speaking peoples who became part of the post-treaty Squaxin Island Tribe.

Around 1850, American settlers founded the city of Olympia at the southern end of Budd Inlet. [3]

Geography

Budd Inlet is 6.84 mi (11.01 km) long and has a maximum breadth of 1.86 mi (2.99 km). The southern end of Budd Inlet is divided into two channels – West Bay and East Bay – by a peninsula that was artificially broadened throughout the late 19th and early 20th century.

The Deschutes River empties into West Bay just north of Tumwater Falls. The mudflats that existed here were dammed and submerged beneath Capitol Lake in 1949.

A deepwater shipping channel was dredged[ when? ] in East Bay to provide deep water access to the Port of Olympia.

See also

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References

  1. "Deschutes River watershed area: Budd Inlet - Washington State Department of Ecology". ecology.wa.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  2. Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names . University of Washington Press. ISBN   0-295-95158-3.
  3. "History of Olympia, Washington". olympiawa.gov. July 27, 2012. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.

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