Mary and Tweeters

Thank you Mary for bringing this up on tweeters.

I must say that I consider this proposed name change an ill-conceived notion. As a current Snohomian I'm agin' it. It don't make no sense.
It's being proposed by local government types as a "more accurate and welcoming name" than Ebey Slough. 'Estuary' is more welcoming than 'slough'? Really? To your average Joe ' Estuary' probably sounds like a cemetery for clams, and as a word doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. It really is sort of a squishy word- actually quite in tune with what it defines.

Ebey Slough is not "an estuary", it's part of one: the Snohomish River Estuary. Estuary's are very wonderful, productive, interesting and mysterious. I'm all for education about the glories of our local estuary! Inaccurate naming of features don't help.

The Snohomish River Estuary is a very interesting place. An estuary being defined basically as a place where freshwater and salt-water meet, usually in a somewhat enclosed situation. The Snohomish River estuary includes all the salt influenced waters of the river, which at high tide might include the river all the way to the city of Snohomish. I've always wondered how far salt water does make it up river. The river is certainly affected by tides to Snohomish - at low tides the river banks have lot's of exposed mud. Walking down the river bar at Fields Riffle, just downstream from Snohomish, I've been caught by the rising tide: the river surface showing downstream flow while the tide comes up underneath, lifting the whole river. How much of that is salt water below and how much just backed up freshwater, I don't know.
I have seen Harbor Seals up that far though.

So there's the Estuary, an ecological definition; and then there's the Delta, a geomorphology definition. The delta starts at Ebey Slough, where the river first divides. The Snohomish delta is interesting in that it is constricted between higher ground on either side. It's not a classic delta like the Nile. However, the Skagit nearly approaches that ideal, being neatly split into two forks out on its unrestricted floodplain.

Following the logic of Skagit, would Ebey Slough be better named Ebey Fork? I think it has real development possibilities for Marysville. I imagine a business district with names like "Ebey's Fork" (restaurant), "Ebey's Fork and Spoon" (kitchen supplies), "Ebey's Tine Wines", "Pork on the Fork" (barbeque), or the infamous "Go Fork Yourself" tavern. Not to mention the franchise of "Ebey's Forked- tongue Real Estate" offices.

In fluvial geomorphology terms, Ebey Slough is termed a 'distributary"; just the opposite of a tributary (which contributes water to the mainstream) a distributary distributes or divides the main flow ot the river into the delta. How about Ebey's Distributary ? Although a bit clinical sounding it also could provide some good business names, and Marysville could use some after they got rid of all their strawberries. How about "Ebey's Savings and Distributory Bank" (if banks ever loan money again that is) or a newspaper "Ebey's Distributary: diverting your attention since 2012".

Back to the start - what is wrong with Ebey Slough as a name? Slough is a great name, so what if dictionary definitions are a little vague. I think it stands right up there with Coulee.

Just Sayin'!

Jeff Gibson
Snohomish County Wa



From: zuckerbond at comcast.net
To: tweeters at washington.edu
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:29:59 -0700
CC:
Subject: [Tweeters] Ebey Estuary






?The Washington State Commission on Geographic Names is considering a big change to a long 8-mile waterway where the Snohomish River delta meets Puget Sound. Ebey Slough, a short distance east of the river, would appear on maps as ?Ebey Estuary? under this proposal that goes to a public hearing May 18.? This short article also includes ?a list of some of the other place names to be reconsidered,? including Soap Lake and Squamish Harbor.
http://today.seattletimes.com/2012/03/ebey-estuary-more-than-just-a-slough/

Mary Bond, Seattle, WA
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