Union Bay Natural Area
Encyclopedia
The Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA) in in Seattle, Washington, also known as Union Bay Marsh, is the restored remainder of the filled former Union Bay and Union Bay Marsh after University Village
Shopping Center, the University of Washington
(UW) athletic facilities, buildings, and main parking area (E1). It is located at the east end of the main UW campus, south of NE 45th Street and west of Laurelhurst
. Ravenna Creek is connected to University Slough (Drainage Canal
), thence to Union Bay, and Lake Washington
. Drainage Canal is one of three or four areas of open water connected with Lake Washington
around Union Bay Marsh. The canal extends from NE 45th Street, between the driving range
and IMA Sports Field 1, south to the bay, ending southeast of the Husky Ballpark
baseball grandstand (northeast of the IMA Building). The Drainage Canal that carries Ravenna Creek past UBNA to Union Bay is locally sometimes called University Slough
, though that is something of a misnomer in that "slough
" is both used in the eastern and southeastern U.S. meaning, rather than the western U.S. meaning, and it is no longer a natural watercourse in that it is a canal that replaced bay and marsh, both now filled.
The little grassland
s, modest ponds, and lake shoreline of the UBNA is a sanctuary for birds (most dramatically crested cormorants, great blue herons, and eagles); turtles and frogs may be seen. The UBNA is notable for diverse habitats including a good-sized lake, small permanent ponds, seasonal ponds, woods, sample prairie
, and marsh
land. The interfaces among these make the area particularly attractive for birdwatching, with more than 150 species of birds sighted. The canal or slough was part of a restoration of the wetlands called Union Bay Marsh that had been drained by the opening of the Montlake Cut
of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
(1916) and much of Union Bay filled by the Montlake Dump
, (home of J. P. Patches
, resident 1958-1981). Formerly the Montlake Landfill, University Dump, or Ravenna Landfill, it was used by the City of Seattle for residential and industrial solid waste
from 1911 to 1966. It was fully closed five years later and overlaid with two feet of clean soil
. Most of the land has been built upon by University Village (1956), UW athletic fields, buildings, and main parking lot E; the remainder comprises the UBNA, colloquially called "the fill".
Before the lowering of Lake Washington
during the early part of the 20th century, Ravenna
and Yesler Creek
s flowed into marshland north of where the canal now begins, and the land through which the canal would be cut lay under the waters of Union Bay. The Burke-Gilman Trail
follows the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
line along the original shoreline of Union Bay past the UW power plant and University Village. Construction was completed in 2006 on a project that reconnects partially daylighted Ravenna Creek to Union Bay by piping it underground to the canal, thus converting the upper reach from a relatively stagnant drainage to the outlet for one of Seattle's partially restored urban creek
s. Daylighting
from southeast Ravenna Park to the UW and the UBNA has been blocked by the owners of University Village
Unlike a commons in the UK and Ireland, the UBNA is owned by the State of Washington and held under the aegis of the University of Washington; access is controlled. Parts of the Area are open during park hours, access to other portions is discouraged, some portions seasonally, for habitat or species protection.
Many restoration projects take place at UBNA. Removal of invasive species, such as Himalayan Blackberry
(Rubus armeniacus) and Morning Glory
(Convolvulus arvensis), are part of a continual effort to restore the site to a natural area. Volunteers account for much of the progress in the Union Bay Natural Area.
University Village, Seattle, Washington
University Village is an upscale shopping center in Seattle, Washington, built at the south corner of Ravenna neighborhood. The 24 acre shopping center was built in 1956 across NE 45th Street on an earlier part of the Montlake Landfill University Village is an upscale shopping center in Seattle,...
Shopping Center, the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(UW) athletic facilities, buildings, and main parking area (E1). It is located at the east end of the main UW campus, south of NE 45th Street and west of Laurelhurst
Laurelhurst, Seattle, Washington
Laurelhurst is a residential neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is bounded on the northeast by Ivanhoe Place N.E., beyond which is Windermere; on the northwest by Sand Point Way N.E. and N.E...
. Ravenna Creek is connected to University Slough (Drainage Canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
), thence to Union Bay, and Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
. Drainage Canal is one of three or four areas of open water connected with Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
around Union Bay Marsh. The canal extends from NE 45th Street, between the driving range
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and IMA Sports Field 1, south to the bay, ending southeast of the Husky Ballpark
Husky Ballpark
Husky Ballpark at Chaffey Field is a college baseball stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It is the home field of the Washington Huskies of the Pac-12 conference....
baseball grandstand (northeast of the IMA Building). The Drainage Canal that carries Ravenna Creek past UBNA to Union Bay is locally sometimes called University Slough
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
, though that is something of a misnomer in that "slough
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
" is both used in the eastern and southeastern U.S. meaning, rather than the western U.S. meaning, and it is no longer a natural watercourse in that it is a canal that replaced bay and marsh, both now filled.
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, modest ponds, and lake shoreline of the UBNA is a sanctuary for birds (most dramatically crested cormorants, great blue herons, and eagles); turtles and frogs may be seen. The UBNA is notable for diverse habitats including a good-sized lake, small permanent ponds, seasonal ponds, woods, sample prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
, and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
land. The interfaces among these make the area particularly attractive for birdwatching, with more than 150 species of birds sighted. The canal or slough was part of a restoration of the wetlands called Union Bay Marsh that had been drained by the opening of the Montlake Cut
Montlake Cut
The Montlake Cut is the easternmost section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which passes through the city of Seattle, linking Lake Washington to Puget Sound. It is approximately long and wide. The center channel is wide and deep....
of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Lake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
(1916) and much of Union Bay filled by the Montlake Dump
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, (home of J. P. Patches
J. P. Patches
J.P. Patches is a clown portrayed by Seattle entertainer Chris Wedes . The J.P. Patches Show was one of the longer-running locally-produced children's television programs in the United States, having appeared on Seattle TV station KIRO channel 7 from 1958 to 1981...
, resident 1958-1981). Formerly the Montlake Landfill, University Dump, or Ravenna Landfill, it was used by the City of Seattle for residential and industrial solid waste
Municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste , commonly known as trash or garbage , refuse or rubbish is a waste type consisting of everyday items we consume and discard. It predominantly includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential,...
from 1911 to 1966. It was fully closed five years later and overlaid with two feet of clean soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
. Most of the land has been built upon by University Village (1956), UW athletic fields, buildings, and main parking lot E; the remainder comprises the UBNA, colloquially called "the fill".
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
during the early part of the 20th century, Ravenna
Ravenna Creek
Ravenna Creek is a stream in the Ravenna and Roosevelt neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington, whose present daylighted length of nearly 3500 feet is entirely within Cowen and Ravenna parks....
and Yesler Creek
Yesler Creek
Yesler Creek is a stream that originates in the Bryant and Wedgwood neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington and flows southward to empty into Union Bay of Lake Washington. Portions are daylighted, such as those flowing between 39th and 40th Avenue NE and through Burke Gilman Park...
s flowed into marshland north of where the canal now begins, and the land through which the canal would be cut lay under the waters of Union Bay. The Burke-Gilman Trail
Burke-Gilman Trail
The Burke-Gilman Sammamish Trail is a rail trail in King County, Washington. The multi-use recreational trail is part of the King County Regional Trail System and occupies an abandoned Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway corridor....
follows the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was a railroad founded in Seattle, Washington, on April 28, 1885, with three tiers of purposes: Build and run the initial line to the town of Ballard, bring immediate results and returns to investors; exploit resources east in the valleys, foothills,...
line along the original shoreline of Union Bay past the UW power plant and University Village. Construction was completed in 2006 on a project that reconnects partially daylighted Ravenna Creek to Union Bay by piping it underground to the canal, thus converting the upper reach from a relatively stagnant drainage to the outlet for one of Seattle's partially restored urban creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s. Daylighting
Daylighting (streams)
In urban design and urban planning, daylighting is the redirection of a stream into an above-ground channel. Typically, the goal is to restore a stream of water to a more natural state...
from southeast Ravenna Park to the UW and the UBNA has been blocked by the owners of University Village
Unlike a commons in the UK and Ireland, the UBNA is owned by the State of Washington and held under the aegis of the University of Washington; access is controlled. Parts of the Area are open during park hours, access to other portions is discouraged, some portions seasonally, for habitat or species protection.
Many restoration projects take place at UBNA. Removal of invasive species, such as Himalayan Blackberry
Rubus armeniacus
Rubus armeniacus, Armenian Blackberry or Himalayan Blackberry, is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores Focke. It is native to Armenia in southwest Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere...
(Rubus armeniacus) and Morning Glory
Convolvulus arvensis
Convolvulus arvensis is a species of bindweed, native to Europe and Asia. It is a climbing or creeping herbaceous perennial plant growing to 0.5–2 m high. The leaves are spirally arranged, linear to arrowhead-shaped, 2–5 cm long and alternate, with a 1–3 cm petiole...
(Convolvulus arvensis), are part of a continual effort to restore the site to a natural area. Volunteers account for much of the progress in the Union Bay Natural Area.
See also
- Daylighting (streams)Daylighting (streams)In urban design and urban planning, daylighting is the redirection of a stream into an above-ground channel. Typically, the goal is to restore a stream of water to a more natural state...
- Ravenna CreekRavenna CreekRavenna Creek is a stream in the Ravenna and Roosevelt neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington, whose present daylighted length of nearly 3500 feet is entirely within Cowen and Ravenna parks....
- Ravenna neighborhoods and the creek
- StreamStreamA stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
- Thornton CreekThornton CreekThornton Creek is 18 miles of urban creeks and tributaries from southeast Shoreline through northeast Seattle to Lake Washington. The creek is the largest watershed in Seattle, draining a region of relatively dense biodiversity for an urban setting, home to frogs, newts, ducks, other birds, and...
- Urban horticultureUrban horticultureUrban and peri-urban horticulture includes all horticultural crops grown for human consumption and ornamental use within and in the immediate surroundings of cities. Although crops have always been grown inside the city, the practice is expanding and gaining more attention...
- Water resourcesWater resourcesWater resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
Further reading
- "Union Bay Natural Area" page, University of Washington