Cal Portland's DuPont Pit Loads a Barge on the Puget Sound

Gravel chute in DuPont, Washington

Ever wonder how 33,000 tons of gravel leaves the DuPont Mine along the Puget Sound each day?

The chute is located near Ketron Island, along the DuPont and Puget Sound Nearshore. It allows the barges to come and go along the Puget Sound, unencumbered. If you walk out the end of the new walkway at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, you can get a very good view of the gravel offloading facility.


During the original permitting process back in 1993, Cal Portland (then LoneStar) documented the presence of Geoduck beds and Eel grass at this spot.  

View of the gravel shoot from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge