Aug. 16—Neighbors rally to save wetland, pond turtles

Deadman’s Pond residents are concerned about the future of an endangered turtle in the wetland

Susan Schell for The Herald

Most residents of Puyallup are probably unaware that they have some very important inhabitants in their midst. So important, in fact, they have received much attention from biologists across Puget Sound.

Western Pond Turtles were discovered basking on logs and quietly going about their business in a tiny enclave of Puyallup wetlands known as Deadman’s Pond. The turtle is listed by Washington State as an endangered species and is the subject of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Western Pond Turtle Recovery Plan in an attempt to ensure its survival. Deadman’s Pond is the only known natural pond in Western Washington that still has the turtle living in it.

The turtle was identified by biologists studying Deadman’s Pond earlier this year at the request of Linda Ellefson, whose property abuts the eastern side of the pond. The western side is a wetland area known as the Gould property that was recently put up for sale. A developer interested in the property planned to build 22 homes on the 8-acre plot.

Fearing the encroachment would destroy the pond, Ellefson contacted Windward Environmental in Seattle, which sent two scientists to assess its ecological importance. Environmental scientist Joanna Florer and aquatic and watershed scientist Fiona McNair were both impressed by what they found.

“We wanted to know if the habitat was worth saving,” said Florer. “Urban ponds like Deadman’s Pond and the forests that surround them are vital to wildlife and migrating birds. The isolation and limited human use make it a prime candidate for a wildlife sanctuary.”

“That type of habitat is very rare in Western Washington,” McNair said. “There are lots of them in Canada, but around here they’re not being created because there are houses everywhere. Development really affects the hydrology and causes these things to dry up.”

The discovery of the endangered turtle was a surprise.

“It was just a freak that we found these turtles,” McNair said. “Linda told us there were turtles in the pond, but she didn’t know what they were. But when we looked we found that sure enough, it was the Western Pond Turtle. It was unbelievable. Everyone was very excited. They are so rare that if we find them we have to take some for a captive breeding program.”

The Woodland Park Zoo’s Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is experiencing success breeding the turtles; the problem is finding a suitable habitat for them when they mature. Released turtles face a bizarre phenomenon: some people get a kick out of pushing endangered animals closer to extinction. Biologists have to release the turtles to secret locations, or keep their nesting grounds behind fences under lock and key. Pond turtles released in the Columbia Gorge were shot.

“They were used for target practice,” Ellefson said.

Other neighbors surrounding Deadman’s Pond also hope that the area will remain intact in its natural state.

“I’m worried about the impact of building a bunch of new homes here,” said Kay Perret. “That kind of thing has a huge effect on the local ecology.”

Jim Scott, who prefers to call the area “Deadman’s Lake,” pointed out that although there are currently houses on one side of the water, they were built one by one, as opposed to many springing up at once.

“When you take away trees and put in pavement, all the runoff from people watering their cars and lawns will run into the lake,” he said. “The people who live here have taken the stewardship of the land very seriously. We don’t put chemicals in our yard, as we don’t want to affect the lake’s water quality. If you build multi-million dollar homes, people will just hire gardeners and they’ll use all kinds of chemicals on the lawn. They don’t care what they do and it will have a devastating effect on this lake.”

Windward scientists said in a written report that Deadman’s Pond qualifies as both a “forested wetland” and a “Category I wetland,” which offers protection against development. The pond is currently classified as a Category II. Efforts by Ellefson and her husband to get the city of Puyallup to re-designate the pond to a Category I have failed so far.

The city’s planning director, Tom Utterback, said the city is currently getting information from the Fish and Wildlife Department on how to treat the area.

“As far as a wetland classifications, either me or the planning division oversees whether it is a critical area based on the biologists’ technical [data]. We want to have the best information and will review what is the appropriate category of the pond based on this new information.”

Utterback explained that at the time the development was being considered, the pond turtle was not an issue.

“The issue of the Western Pond Turtle came to our attention fairly recently. We’re still getting initial information, as there has been some concern. We had a preliminary meeting with a developer looking at the property, but they have not come back in yet with any formal permit.

“No development applications are currently pending around Deadman’s Pond. If any new development comes in, we need to property regulate it and at the same time deal with the pre-existing homes. We’re in communication with a couple of residents around the pond because it is a critical area. We want to educate them and get good voluntary cooperation about the pond habitat and about the turtle in particular.”

Although it appears that the sound of chain saws and bulldozers won’t be piercing the silence of Deadman’s Pond any time soon, the residents are not about to breathe a sigh of relief just yet.

“I have not spoken with anyone about that particular site for months,” Utterback said. “That doesn’t mean he won’t show up in the future.”

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-841-2481 ext. 315 or by e-mail at susan.schell@puyallupherald.com.