Welcome to Skagit County

September 6, 2013

Skagit County asks outdoor recreationists around Samish Bay to do their part to improve water quality by using portable toilets and pet waste stations.

SKAGIT COUNTY - Skagit County is asking outdoor recreationists (fishermen, hunters, hikers, and bird watchers) to do their part to clean up the Samish Bay watershed by using the portable toilets and pet waste stations near Samish River recreation areas.

Properly disposing of human and dog waste is an important component in helping to reduce fecal coliform pollution. In an effort to reduce pet and human waste and help keep the Samish watershed clean, Skagit County's Clean Samish Initiative has installed pet waste stations and portable toilets throughout the Samish basin.

There are currently 14 pet waste stations and 9 portable toilets provided throughout the Samish Bay watershed. A map with their specific locations and information regarding the waste stations is available at www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater.

"Human and pet waste are contributors to the fecal coliform pollution problem in the Samish," said Skagit County's Natural Resource Division Manager Dan Berentson. "The waste stations are intended to reduce these pollution sources and allow residents, visitors, birders, hunters, fishermen, and other recreational users to recreate responsibly. We encourage the public to use these stations and help keep the Samish clean."

The waste stations are a result of the efforts by Skagit County, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Skagit Conservation Education Alliance, Chuckanut Shellfish, and other organizations and individuals involved in the Clean Samish Initiative. Not all locations may be listed online and some toilet locations are only operational on a seasonal basis.

For more information about the Clean Samish Initiative, clean water efforts in Skagit County, and additional portable toilet information, visit www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater.

For more information on pet waste stations and portable toilets, or how to adopt a station, contact Pascale Warren at pascalew@co.skagit.wa.us or at (360) 336-9400.