Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park

Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park is one of the premier bird watching locations in Port Townsend, and indeed all of Jefferson County. Over 180 species of birds have been recorded there, including nesting Virginia Rails, Pied-billed Grebes, and Ruddy Ducks, among other waterbirds. On a good day in spring migration, it is possible to see dozens of warblers and tanagers flitting thru the trees. In the fall, shorebirds offer close-up opportunities for photographers. And gorgeous ducks, including Hooded Mergansers, are there much of the year. The presence of Long-tailed Weasels is also testimony to this excellent nature preserve.

For a full list of the species, along with seasonal bar charts on when they occur, see the eBird bar chart for Kah Tai Lagoon.

Access

There is a foot path along the southeast edge of the lagoon from Landes to Kearney (near the Food Co-op). This offers the best opportunities to enjoy the birds. Other trails curve through the upland habitat or wrap around the small pond nearest Safeway and Henery’s Hardware.

Ownership and Management

Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park is owned by the city of Port Townsend. Admiralty Audubon has been involved with the lagoon and its birds and habitat since the 1970s. It is now an Admiralty Audubon Adopt-a-Park.

The park was created in 1981 when the city and port accepted $118,000 from the US Department of the Interior, $59,000 from the state, and local land donations as a match to acquire the land, making it a federally designated Land and Water Conservation Fund park. Thus, Kah Tai Lagoon is restricted in perpetuity for wildlife habitat. Passive recreation is allowed so long as it is compatible with wildlife habitat. These restrictions are recorded on the title at the Jefferson County Court House and are referenced in the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

Admiralty Audubon has cared for the property for decades, with volunteer efforts to plant native shrubs and trees and to remove invasive vegetation.

History

The lagoon was originally a salt marsh estuary, connected to Puget Sound through what is now the Port of Port Townsend. The name would be spelled “qatáy” (all lower case) under current practices for Klallam. It refers to “portage,” where local Salish peoples would portage their canoes between the lagoon and North Beach, via various small ponds on the way, to avoid the dangerous currents at the point. The čičməhán Trail runs through the park.

In the early 1900s, Lawrence and San Juan ran through the lagoon on trestles, forming a four-way intersection in the middle.

After the establishment of Sims Road, the water in the lagoon came right up to near the poplars. In preparation for the filling of the southern portion of the lagoon and the construction of the Boat Haven and Boat Yard, a new lagoon shoreline was established following Clay and 14th Streets; this is now the walking path.

Dredged materials from the Boat Haven were used to fill in the area between Sims Road and the walking path along the edge of the lagoon.

This work was completed in 1965. The area between Sims and the walking path along the edge of the lagoon were largely unvegetated into the 1980s. There were proposals to build a large shopping center on the fill. Around 1979, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed Kah Tai Lagoon as one of the top 20 “Important Fish & Wildlife Habitats of Washington.” After the city acquired it in 1981 and it became a nature park, work began to plant trees and vegetate the filled area. A picnic shelter was constructed in 1985.

Today, that same structure is surrounded by trees and grass.

Admiralty Audubon continues to have volunteer work days to manage and improve the habitat. These are announced in our newsletter and on our events webpage.

Sept. 7, 2023: Letter from Admiralty Audubon Society Presdent Rick Jahnke to Port Townsend Leader in response to Sept. 6 letter stating that Kah Tai would be a great place for a dog park and pickle ball courts:

This letter is in response to last week’s (6 September 2023) letter by Dixie Llewellin regarding possible uses of the Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park. In her letter, she suggests that the park would be an appropriate location for a dog park, paved pickle ball courts and playgrounds. She appears unaware that such uses would be a conversion of use and would not be permitted without acquiring equivalent replacement land of equal accessibility and ecological value.

The use of this land was established by contract in 1981 when the city and port accepted $118,000 from the U.S. Department of Interior, $59,000 from the state and local land donations as match to acquire the land for this Federally designated Land and Water Conservation Fund park. Under this contract, the use of the land is restricted in perpetuity to wildlife habitat and passive recreation compatible with wildlife habitat.

These land use restrictions have been recorded to title at the Jefferson County Court House and are referenced in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. But don’t take my word for it. Everyone can read this for themselves by going to the City’s web site. Click on Comprehensive Plan, go to the Land Use Element and read Policy 4.5.1. It is also important to note that through decades of volunteer efforts planting native shrubs and trees and removing invasives, the park habitat now hosts 187 bird species as listed on Cornell University’s eBird site.