Stormwater may be Puget Sound’s most well-known pollutant, and at the same time its least known. Washington state recognizes stormwater as Puget Sound’s largest source of toxic contaminants, but scientists have a tough time answering these basic questions: What is stormwater, exactly, and what does it do?

Read more at the Puget Sound Institute’s magazine, Salish Sea Currents, which looks at efforts by scientists to answer those questions. They are identifying toxic chemicals in stormwater that may be killing large numbers of coho salmon in Puget Sound and working with partners in Washington state to develop solutions.

Did you know: The Stormwater Strategic Initiative brings together partners at the Department of Ecology with the Washington State Stormwater Center to strategically tackle Puget Sound’s stormwater challenges.