# Eld Inlet

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eld_Inlet.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eld_Inlet
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{{Short description|Inlet in Puget Sound, Washington state}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox body of water
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| location           = [Thurston County](/source/Thurston_County%2C_Washington), [Washington](/source/Washington_(state))
| coordinates        = {{Coord|47|4|57|N|122|59|21|W|display=inline,title|region:US_type:waterbody}}
| type               = [Inlet](/source/Inlet)
| etymology          = 
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'''Eld Inlet''' is an [inlet](/source/inlet) located at the southern end of [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound) in [Thurston County](/source/Thurston_County%2C_Washington), [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)). It is the second southernmost arm of Puget Sound after neighboring [Budd Inlet](/source/Budd_Inlet).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Deschutes River watershed area: Budd Inlet - Washington State Department of Ecology|url=https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-quality/Water-improvement/Total-Maximum-Daily-Load-process/Directory-of-improvement-projects/Deschutes-River-watershed-area-Budd-Inlet|access-date=October 1, 2020|website=ecology.wa.gov}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Eld Inlet was given its present name by [Charles Wilkes](/source/Charles_Wilkes) during the [United States Exploring Expedition](/source/United_States_Exploring_Expedition), to honor one of the expedition's officers, Midshipman [Henry Eld](/source/Henry_Eld).<ref>{{cite book |last= Phillips |first= James W. |title= Washington State Place Names |url= https://archive.org/details/washingtonstatep00phil |url-access= registration |year= 1971 |publisher= University of Washington Press |isbn= 0-295-95158-3 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/washingtonstatep00phil/page/19 19], 44}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/historic/docs/Place-Names.pdf | title=Thurston County Place Names: A Heritage Guide | publisher=Thurston County Historical Commission | date=1992 | accessdate=March 28, 2018 | pages=23}}</ref>

==History==
In May 1792 [Peter Puget](/source/Peter_Puget) and [Joseph Whidbey](/source/Joseph_Whidbey) of the [Vancouver Expedition](/source/Vancouver_Expedition) explored Eld Inlet. At the southern end they found a native village of about 60 inhabitants. Due to the friendly reception Puget called the place Friendly Inlet.<ref>{{cite book |last= Roberts |first= John E. |title= A Discovery Journal: George Vancouver's First Survey Season - 1792 |year= 2005 |publisher= Trafford Publishing |isbn= 978-1-4120-7097-3 |pages= 62}}</ref>

==Geography==
Eld Inlet is about {{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on}} long and has a maximum breadth of {{convert|1.24|mi|km|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{GNIS|1513271|Eld Inlet}}</ref> [McLane Creek](/source/McLane_Creek) drains into the southern end of Eld Inlet, forming a large [mudflat](/source/mudflat) known as [Mud Bay](/source/Mud_Bay%2C_Thurston_County%2C_Washington).

==Randall Preserve and Allison Springs==
At the southern end of Eld Inlet is the {{convert|7|acre|ha|adj=mid}} Randall Preserve, a shoreline conservation area managed by [Capitol Land Trust](/source/Capitol_Land_Trust) (CLT). Originally a private residential site, it became a [conservation easement](/source/conservation_easement) after the property was purchased by its namesake, Marjorie Randall, in 1997.{{r|RP&AS}}<ref name="OWWUR">{{cite news |last1=Pemberton |first1=Lisa |title=Olympia watershed workers unite - restoration: About 10 organizations work to help salmon habitat |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/158C79D4F8A61728 |access-date=October 23, 2025 |work=[The News Tribune](/source/The_News_Tribune) |date=October 16, 2011 |page=B5 |id={{NewsBank text|158C79D4F8A61728}} |via=[NewsBank](/source/NewsBank) |url-access=registration}}</ref> Donated to CLT in 2008 upon Marjorie's death, the area was restored beginning that same year, with efforts to remove invasive species, [bulkheads](/source/Bulkhead_(barrier)), and an existing home and other structures. A short [interpretive trail](/source/interpretive_trail) exists in the preserve which is located next to Allison Springs, a tideland area also restored by CLT.{{r|RP&AS}}{{r|OWWUR}}

Allison Springs is the location of the city of Olympia's [aquifer](/source/aquifer).<ref name="RP&AS">{{cite web |title=Randall Preserve / Allison Springs |url=https://capitollandtrust.org/conserved-lands/conservation-areas/steamboat-conservation-partnership-region/randall-preserve/ |publisher=[Capitol Land Trust](/source/Capitol_Land_Trust) |access-date=October 23, 2025 |date=Summer 2011}}</ref> The springs are part of an overall {{convert|50|acre|ha|adj=mid}} estuary site that underwent a separate restoration beginning in 2011, which included the removal of invasive plants and several impediments to water flow, including [culverts](/source/culverts) and [weirs](/source/weirs).{{r|HRMBF}} The grounds were once the site of a trout farm in the 1950s and later as a state fish hatchery. Funds for the $250,000 project were provided in part by the state's [Salmon Recovery Funding Board](/source/List_of_Washington_state_agencies).<ref name="HRMBF">{{cite news |author1=KOMO staff |title=Help restore Mud Bay fish and wildlife habitat |url=https://komonews.com/archive/help-restore-mud-bay-fish-and-wildlife-habitat# |access-date=October 23, 2025 |work=[KOMO 4 News](/source/KOMO_4_News) |date=March 11, 2013}}</ref>{{r|OWWUR}} Additional organizations who sponsored the conservation efforts at both sites include People of Puget Sound and Stream Team.{{r|OWWUR}}

The Mud Bay estuary sites are considered as [salt marsh](/source/salt_marsh), tideland habitats. The ecosystem is home to [chum salmon](/source/chum_salmon), birds such as [cedar waxwings](/source/cedar_waxwings) and willow flycatchers, and mammals that include [American black bear](/source/American_black_bear), coyote, and deer.{{r|RP&AS}}

==See also==
* [List of geographic features in Thurston County, Washington](/source/List_of_geographic_features_in_Thurston_County%2C_Washington)
* [Totten Inlet](/source/Totten_Inlet)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://streamteam.info/nature-sleuths/randall-preserve/ StreamTeam - Randall Preserve]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Inlets of Washington (state)
Category:Bodies of water of Thurston County, Washington

{{ThurstonCountyWA-geo-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Eld Inlet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eld_Inlet) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eld_Inlet?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.