The SoundGuardian is King County’s current research vessel, built to continue decades of marine and freshwater monitoring.

King County’s Environmental Lab needs to be properly equipped to monitor our waters for the next several decades – decades that will bring many more people to our region, and more pressure on our waterbodies, as well as the effects of climate change. We need to keeping track of how these trends affect Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, the Duwamish River and other waterbodies will be part of SoundGuardian’s job.

We also need to be equipped to take on new environmental responsibilities, which have increased substantially since our old research vessel, the Liberty,  was launched in 1977. Demand for healthy, well-managed waterways may be a regulatory requirement, but it’s also a passion for the King County employees who have dedicated their careers to making it happen.

Learn about the SoundGuardian and the work King County’s Environmental Lab carries out on this invaluable research vessel.

SoundGuardian: Tracking the Health of Puget Sound was developed with collaborative effort by DNRP employees using ESRI ArcGIS Online platform from King County GIS Center.

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For questions about this Web page, please contact Diane McElhany, Environmental Programs Section Manager, King County Environmental Lab.