North Wind's Weir

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Coordinates: 47°30′12″N122°17′48″W / 47.503233°N 122.296744°W / 47.503233; -122.296744

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The rocks in the foreground constitute part of North Wind's Weir. The view here looks north from a foot-and-bicycle bridge on the Green River Trail. Duwamish River - North Wind's Weir at dusk 01.jpg
The rocks in the foreground constitute part of North Wind's Weir. The view here looks north from a foot-and-bicycle bridge on the Green River Trail.

North Wind's Weir or North Wind's Fish Weir south of Seattle on the Duwamish River in Tukwila, Washington is a site that figures prominently in the oral traditions of the Salish people of the Puget Sound region. The legends describe battles between North Wind and South Wind for control of the region. [1]

Seattle City in Washington, United States

Seattle is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With an estimated 730,000 residents as of 2018, Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. According to U.S. Census data released in 2018, the Seattle metropolitan area’s population stands at 3.87 million, and ranks as the 15th largest in the United States. In July 2013, it was the fastest-growing major city in the United States and remained in the Top 5 in May 2015 with an annual growth rate of 2.1%. In July 2016, Seattle was again the fastest-growing major U.S. city, with a 3.1% annual growth rate. Seattle is the northernmost large city in the United States.

Duwamish River name of the lower 12 miles (19 km) of Washington states Green River

The Duwamish River is the name of the lower 12 miles (19 km) of Washington state's Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway.

Tukwila, Washington City in Washington, United States

Tukwila is a suburban city in King County, Washington, United States, bordering on Seattle at its northern edge. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census; the 2015 Estimate from the Office of Financial Management estimates an increase to 20,018.

Salish tradition

According to Salish tradition, North Wind stretched a weir of ice across the Duwamish River at this site; no fish could pass, starving the people up the valley, the people of the Chinook Wind who was married to North Wind's daughter Mountain Beaver Woman. The mother of Mountain Beaver woman survived the starvation, but retreated to the mountain. Mountain Beaver Woman's son, the child Storm Wind, also survived. [2]

Weir barrier across a river designed to alter its flow characteristics

A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. There are many designs of weir, but commonly water flows freely over the top of the weir crest before cascading down to a lower level.

The people of the North Wind warned Storm Wind to stay away from the mountain, trying to keep from him the knowledge of what had happened to his people, but eventually he defied them and found his grandmother living in misery. He heard her story and helped her out of her misery; she, in return, aided him with a flood that shattered the weir and turned it to stone. Storm Wind and his grandmother defeated North Wind, who only occasionally and briefly torments the area with snow and ice. [2]

Location and environs

North Wind's Weir is just east of Cecil Moses Memorial Park, in a zone where fresh and salt waters mix, creating a key transition zone for young Chinook salmon swimming downstream to Puget Sound. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge coming out of the park on the Green River Trail crosses the Duwamish River just south of the weir, allowing a view of the rock formation in the river, except when there is a high tide. [3] [4] The United States Army Corps of Engineers, King County, and construction contractor Doyon Project Services completed a habitat restoration project at the site in December 2009, restoring 2.5 acres (1.0 hectare) of mudflat and vegetated marsh. [4]

Chinook salmon species of fish

The Chinook salmon is the largest species in the Pacific salmon genus Oncorhynchus. The common name refers to the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, Quinnat salmon, spring salmon, chrome hog, and Tyee salmon. The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name chavycha (чавыча).

Green River Trail foot and bicycle trail in King County, Washington

The Green River Trail is a 19.6-mile (31.5 km) pedestrian and bicycle trail in King County, Washington, USA. It runs along the banks of the Duwamish and Green Rivers, crossing the river several times on bridges. The trail goes through a variety of landscapes, ranging from industrial to rural.

United States Army Corps of Engineers federal agency under the Department of Defense and a major Army command

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a U.S. federal agency under the Department of Defense and a major Army command made up of some 37,000 civilian and military personnel, making it one of the world's largest public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. Although generally associated with dams, canals and flood protection in the United States, USACE is involved in a wide range of public works throughout the world. The Corps of Engineers provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public, and provides 24% of U.S. hydropower capacity.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Seattle Cultural Guides: Native American Heritage" (PDF). Cultural Tourism Program of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  2. 1 2 Alan Stein (2000-08-15), Arthur Ballard records and translates the legend of origin of the North Wind Weir on the Duwamish River beginning in 1916, HistoryLink , retrieved 2016-10-24
  3. ↑ Cathy McDonald (2005-11-03). "Walkabout: Cecil Moses Memorial Park". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  4. 1 2 "North Wind's Weir". US Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
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