The Thea Foss Waterway,[1] formerly the City Waterway,[2] is a north–south inlet of Commencement Bay separating downtown Tacoma, Washington, from the Port of Tacoma.
| Thea Foss Waterway | |
|---|---|
| City Waterway | |
  Thea Foss Waterway  Thea Foss Waterway | |
| Location | Tacoma, Washington |
| Coordinates | 47°15′44″N 122°26′14″W / 47.2623214°N 122.4373462°W |
| Type | Inlet |
| Etymology | Thea Foss |
| Part of | Commencement Bay |
History
editThe City Waterway was created in 1902 through a dredging operation proposed by the Northern Pacific Railway and led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An existing inlet was widened to 500 feet (150 m) for that era's wheat ships and extended south, while a fork of the Puyallup River (now the Wheeler–Osgood Waterway) was severed.[3] In 1989, the waterway was renamed to honor Thea Foss, who founded the Foss Maritime Company on the inlet in 1889.[4][5]
Cleanup and redevelopment
editDuring the early 20th century, the Thea Foss Waterway was a thriving industrial center. Industry began to dwindle in the area, and by 1981, the Thea Foss Waterway was almost entirely abandoned. In 1983, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood waterways as part of the larger 12-acre (49,000 m2) Commencement Bay Superfund site. The final cap from the Superfund cleanup action on the Thea Foss Waterway occurred back in February 2006.[6] As of 2010, planned development is underway along the waterway. When complete, the new development will feature parks, residential areas, and office space. A public esplanade will run along the length of the waterway. 7 of the 15 development sites are either constructed or have specific plans for redevelopment. The project is overseen by the Foss Waterway Development Authority Board (FWDA).
Local leaders see the Thea Foss Waterway as an economic opportunity, and seek to restore it to the commercial hub that it once was.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Thea Foss Waterway". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. September 1, 1990. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ "City Waterway". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. September 10, 1979. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ Ripp, Bart (October 13, 2002). "Happy 100th, Thea". The News Tribune. p. D1. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ramsdell, Melissa (June 9, 1989). "Board likely to delay waterway renaming". The News Tribune. p. B1. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "City makes it official: Thea Foss Waterway". The News Tribune. October 18, 1989. p. B2. Retrieved November 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Commencement Bay, Nearshore/Tideflats, Environmental Protection Agency.
External links
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