Mason Gulch History
Mason Gulch consists of 36 contiguous open space acres located in North Tacoma. Steep, forested slopes surround the wetland/creek complex at the bottom elevations. This area provides many environmental benefits including stormwater management, wildlife habitat, and water quality protection.
Creek flow is plentiful as it was used from the late 1800s to the 1920s as a water supply for North end residents of the City of Tacoma. In 1926, Tacoma Public Utility’s Water Department purchased the property with the intent to use as a water supply. The results of a hydrologic report in 1964, determined that this use would be complicated due to the geology, springs, and unstable soils.
In 1966, the North End Sewer Treatment Plant was built at the mouth of the gulch and currently uses some of the creek water during its processing of sewage. In 2014, the properties were transferred to the City of Tacoma’s Environmental Services Department with the intent to manage the properties responsibly with a focus on vegetation to benefit both surface water quality and quantity. A landscape management plan is currently being prepared in order to address responsible property management of the gulch.
Watch a video describing the goals of the LMP.
Tacoma Report September 23, 2017
Watch a video highlighting restoration work at Mason Gulch.
Urban Green - Mason Gulch - September 29, 2017
Contact
For more information regarding the progress of the Mason Gulch landscape management plan, please contact the City of Tacoma Mason Gulch Project Manager, Desiree Radice at (253) 502-2126 or dradice@cityoftacoma.org.
Mason Gulch Landscape Management Plan
Staff have been working hard to balance the goals of the Landscape Management Plan (LMP) by improving slope stability and forest health, public safety and public views within the limits of the applicable regulations.
View the permitted Mason Gulch Landscape Management Plan.
View the Mason Gulch LMP report for 2019/2020
Additional Resources
Baseline Conditions Assessment Report, GeoEngineers, November 2014
Daylighting of Mason Creek – Feasibility Analysis
Mason Gulch: A hidden paradise - The News Tribune, July 27, 2014