About This Project
Understanding our mission, data sources, and commitment to accessibility.
Our Mission
The Puget Sound Salmon Health Dashboard was created to make salmon population and watershed health data accessible to everyone — from curious neighbors to educators, scientists, and resource managers.
Salmon recovery in Puget Sound is shaped by scientific monitoring data, the stewardship of the Native Nations who have managed these fisheries for thousands of years, and the coordinated work of government agencies, conservation organizations, and communities. This dashboard draws on the public data record and aims to present it clearly and in context.
Our goals:
- Provide clear, visual answers to "How are the salmon doing?"
- Make complex environmental data understandable to all audiences
- Support educators teaching about salmon ecology and treaty rights
- Connect data to stewardship actions and recovery projects
Data Sources & Methods
| Data Type | Source | Update Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon Returns | WDFW Salmonid Population Indicators (SPI) — data.wa.gov | Annual (refresh with npm run data:refresh) |
| Water Temperature | USGS National Water Information System | Real-time (15 min cache) |
| Streamflow & Temperature (trend) | USGS NWIS Statistics Service | Annual (24-hour cache) |
| Fish Passage Barriers | WSDOT Fish Passage API | Quarterly (15 min cache) |
| Watershed Boundaries | USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset | Static (1-year cache) |
All data is sourced from real APIs. Salmon return data (WDFW SPI), current stream temperatures, annual temperature and streamflow trends, and fish passage barriers are all fetched from WDFW, USGS NWIS, and WSDOT public APIs. Watershed health status is derived from actual Chinook return trends in the WDFW dataset.
Known Limitations:
- Salmon return estimates have varying levels of confidence depending on survey method and conditions
- Some watersheds have sparse historical data before 2010
- Environmental indicators (temperature, flow) are point measurements and may not represent entire watershed conditions
- Data updates occur on different schedules — check timestamps on each metric
Accessibility Commitment
We are committed to making this dashboard accessible to all users, including those using assistive technologies.
Our standards: We aim to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility guidelines.
Accessibility features:
- Keyboard navigation for all interactive elements
- Screen reader-friendly chart descriptions and accessible data tables behind every chart
- Color contrast ratios meeting AA standards
- Status indicators that don't rely solely on color (paired with text/icons)
- Skip-to-content links on every page
Report an accessibility issue: Use the contact form below and mention "accessibility" in your subject line.
Contact & Get Involved
Questions about the data, feedback on the site, or ideas for new features? We'd love to hear from you.