Hood Canal

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Hood Canal, is a fjord off Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington

[edit] Geography

Hood Canal, is a fjord off Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington, with an average width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and an average depth of 500 feet (152 m). ^{[citation needed]} It extends for about 50 miles (80 km) southwest from the entrance between Foulweather Bluff and Tala Point to Union, where it turns northeast and extends for about 15 miles (24 km) to Belfair. It separates the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula for its entire length. U.S. Route 101 runs along its western shore south of Quilcene. The U.S. Navy's Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor Annex, is located on the eastern shore of Hood Canal near Silverdale.

Image:Hoodcanal.jpg

Hood Canal was named "Hood's Channel" by Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver for Admiral Lord Samuel Hood on May 13, 1792.

Hood Canal is spanned by the Hood Canal Bridge, the third longest floating bridge in the world at 6,521 feet (1,988 m). According to the Washington State Department of transportation, the Hood Canal Bridge is the only floating bridge constructed on saltwater. <ref>Washington State Department of Transportation (May 2005). Hood Canal Bridge Retrofit (PDF). Retrieved on November 29, 2006.</ref> The bridge also accommodates sixteen and a half foot tides.

There are several state parks <ref>Washington State Parks. Washington State Parks (Web). Retrieved on November 29, 2006.</ref> on the shores of Hood Canal including Belfair, Twanoh, Potlatch, Triton Cove, Scenic Beach, Dosewallips, Kitsap Memorial, and Shrine Tidelands.

[edit] Recent History

This article or section does not cite sources or references that appear in a credible, third-party publication. The sources provided are primary sources, such as websites and publications affiliated with the subject of the article. You can help Wikipedia by including appropriate citations from reliable sources. This article has been tagged since November 2006.

September of 2006 marked the discovery of the largest dead zone in the history of Hood Canal. The dead zone is believed to have been caused by low oxygen levels due to algal blooms. Algal blooms occur in part because of warm weather and the slow turnover of water in the southern end of the canal, causing the build-up of nutrients from fertilizers and leaky septic systems. When the algae die, bacteria feed and their populations explode, robbing the water of oxygen.

Divers searching for invasive species discovered a mat of marine bacteria covering a four-mile stretch where all normal sea life was dead. Jan Newton, oceanographer at the University of Washington, said it was important to note that Hood Canal has had very low oxygen for a long time.

The oxygen level could have been acerbated by a simple change in wind direction, according to a Seattle newspaper. The prevailing north wind generally pushes oxygenated water into the oxygen-depleted area. A sustained south wind will cut off this source of oxygen.

The Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program has been formed by 38 groups to try to combat the problem.