45:
29:
52:
348:), a non-native species of grass introduced possibly to help preserve wetlands and marsh areas, and possibly simply by accident as packing material in crates of oysters from the East Coast. The State of Washington has been spraying an herbicide thought not to threaten other species since about 2005, and the
226:
separates
Willapa Bay from the greater expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With over 120 square miles (310 km) of surface area Willapa Bay is the second-largest riverine estuary on the Pacific coast of the continental United States. Early settlers called the bay
340:. The oyster beds help the ecosystem by providing habitats and filtering water, improving the quality of the water. The bay's ecology was threatened in the 1990s by the rapid spreading of
450:
489:
484:
87:
418:
400:
455:
44:
479:
381:
474:
337:
250:, which formed after the rise in sea level at the end of the last ice age flooded several small river valleys. The
414:
433:
262:
provide most of the freshwater input into the bay. Other rivers that empty into
Willapa Bay include the
361:
310:
376:
275:
333:
251:
366:
294:
279:
138:
403:
302:
290:
415:
NOAA-NWFSC Tech Memo-32: Status Review of Chum Salmon from
Washington, Oregon, and California
341:
238:, and half of the volume of water inside it enters and leaves with every tide. The bay is an
371:
306:
298:
223:
8:
286:
318:
215:
285:
The bay is bordered by several smaller towns and unincorporated communities such as
177:
246:
to the south, partially enclosed the estuaries of several smaller rivers. It is a
445:
267:
235:
126:
322:
243:
157:
234:
Willapa Bay is fairly shallow: more than half of its surface area lies in the
468:
440:
259:
255:
219:
211:
163:
150:
134:
102:
89:
73:
329:
271:
130:
28:
434:
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Willapa Bay
263:
122:
239:
145:
242:
formed when the Long Beach
Peninsula, a long sand spit from the
459:
314:
231:
and this name is found on old maps and charts of the region.
198:
192:
321:
industry: approximately 9% of all oysters in the U.S. are
309:
are on the bay itself. The bay is entirely located within
247:
207:
186:
183:
195:
189:
180:
466:
80:
490:Washington placenames of Native American origin
485:Bodies of water of Pacific County, Washington
33:Bone River flows into Willapa Bay's east side
332:and much of it, including the entirety of
449:) is being considered for deletion. See
16:Estuary in the U.S. state of Washington
467:
382:Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company
336:, has been set aside as part of the
51:
13:
14:
501:
456:Pacific County travel and tourism
453:to help reach a consensus. ›
427:
338:Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
176:
50:
43:
27:
480:Estuaries of Washington (state)
408:
394:
1:
438:
387:
328:Willapa Bay is known for its
293:, both on the Willapa River;
7:
355:
10:
506:
475:Bays of Washington (state)
362:Pacific County, Washington
311:Pacific County, Washington
377:Steamboats of Willapa Bay
210:located on the southwest
156:
144:
118:
79:
69:
38:
26:
21:
451:templates for discussion
352:threat is much reduced.
367:Oysterville, Washington
313:and is home to a local
404:The Nature Conservancy
103:46.66222°N 124.01056°W
346:Spartina alterniflora
372:Shoalwater Bay Tribe
224:Long Beach Peninsula
108:46.66222; -124.01056
99: /
342:Atlantic cordgrass
319:seafood processing
169:
168:
146:Ocean/sea sources
497:
421:
412:
406:
398:
282:, among others.
205:
204:
201:
200:
197:
194:
191:
188:
185:
182:
147:
114:
113:
111:
110:
109:
104:
100:
97:
96:
95:
92:
82:
54:
53:
47:
31:
19:
18:
505:
504:
500:
499:
498:
496:
495:
494:
465:
464:
454:
430:
425:
424:
413:
409:
399:
395:
390:
358:
268:Niawiakum River
236:intertidal zone
179:
175:
160: countries
127:Niawiakum River
107:
105:
101:
98:
93:
90:
88:
86:
85:
65:
64:
63:
62:
61:
60:
59:
55:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
503:
493:
492:
487:
482:
477:
463:
462:
436:
429:
428:External links
426:
423:
422:
407:
392:
391:
389:
386:
385:
384:
379:
374:
369:
364:
357:
354:
244:Columbia River
229:Shoalwater Bay
167:
166:
161:
154:
153:
148:
142:
141:
120:
116:
115:
83:
77:
76:
71:
67:
66:
57:
56:
49:
48:
42:
41:
40:
39:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
502:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
472:
470:
461:
457:
452:
448:
447:
442:
437:
435:
432:
431:
420:
416:
411:
405:
401:
397:
393:
383:
380:
378:
375:
373:
370:
368:
365:
363:
360:
359:
353:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
331:
326:
324:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
283:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
260:Naselle River
257:
256:Willapa River
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
232:
230:
225:
221:
220:United States
218:state in the
217:
213:
212:Pacific coast
209:
203:
173:
165:
164:United States
162:
159:
155:
152:
151:Pacific Ocean
149:
143:
140:
136:
135:Naselle River
132:
128:
124:
121:
119:River sources
117:
112:
84:
78:
75:
74:Pacific Ocean
72:
68:
46:
37:
30:
25:
20:
444:
410:
396:
349:
345:
330:biodiversity
327:
284:
233:
228:
171:
170:
439:‹ The
334:Long Island
295:Oysterville
276:Cedar River
272:Palix River
252:North River
172:Willapa Bay
131:Palix River
106: /
81:Coordinates
58:Willapa Bay
22:Willapa Bay
469:Categories
388:References
303:Bay Center
291:South Bend
280:Bear River
264:Bone River
216:Washington
139:Bear River
123:Bone River
94:124°0′38″W
91:46°39′44″N
441:template
356:See also
350:Spartina
307:Tokeland
299:Nahcotta
70:Location
443:below (
325:there.
287:Raymond
240:estuary
222:. The
206:) is a
460:Curlie
446:Curlie
315:oyster
258:, and
323:grown
158:Basin
419:NOAA
317:and
305:and
289:and
278:and
458:at
248:ria
214:of
208:bay
471::
417:,
402:,
301:,
297:,
274:,
270:,
266:,
254:,
199:ɑː
137:,
133:,
129:,
125:,
344:(
202:/
196:p
193:ə
190:l
187:ɪ
184:w
181:ˈ
178:/
174:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
