The Skagit River is the largest of the Puget Sound river basins. Its total drainage area covers approximately 3093 square miles and 1.98 million acres. The headwaters are the snow capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains that extend from southern British Columbia to Glacier Peak. The mainstream river runs 162 miles to the shores of Puget Sound. The watershed is host to salmon, eagles, the nation’s first Wild and Scenic Rivers, hydroelectric dams, a variety of agricultural uses spanning timber to tulips, residential, commercial, and industrial development. This wide variety of use and growth creates an ever increasing challenge to provide high quality safe drinking water.