It’s official: Our waters are the Salish Sea; cartographers must use designation on maps and atlases
The state Board on Geographic Names today [30 October] approved “Salish Sea” as the collective name for the body of water that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Georgia Strait.
The new designation does not change or eliminate the names of any of the several bodies of water within the Salish Sea on either side of the international border. It does mandate that cartographers use “Salish Sea” on all maps and in all atlases.
The term, which has been adopted by the British Columbia Geographical Names Office, is already used by some scientists to describe the unified ecosystem and habitats of the inland waters. Supporters say the name recognizes this convergence of straits for what it is — an inland sea — and recognizes the Coast Salish peoples who were the first residents of these waters.
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