Army Divers Pull Derelict Fishing Nets From Puget Sound

LAKEWOOD, WA — A detachment of Army divers have pulled thousands of square feet of fishing lets from the bottom of Puget Sound this July.

Since July 7, the 86th Engineer Dive Detachment, currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, have been working with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to scour the bottom of the sound and fish out nets, gillnets and abandoned fishing lines.

The program is part of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training program— organizers say it's a great way for their divers to train while also helping out the local environment.

"The mission is an outstanding opportunity for the detachment and comes with great value to the state of Washington," Capt. Robert Cornell, 86th Dive Detachment commander said. "The challenges and complexity of the problem-set provide a tough realistic mission for the detachment."

Since their work began, the 86th Engineer Dive Detachment has pulled out four gillnets that totaled over 3,562 square feet, and two lines which together measured 1,543 feet. They've also pulled out one other large net that is still being processed and accounted for.

So far, the Army says all of the nets have been pulled out of the water near San Juan Island, off the island's western and southwestern coast near Eagle Cove and Hidden Bay. Those nets were deep in the water— all of them were found between 98 and 180 feet under the surface.

"This is a very unique opportunity for us," dive team member Sgt. Jared Lausen said. "We have a very broad skill set but the environment of the Puget Sound presents many interesting challenges, particularly with its strong currents, cold water and depth."

The state Department of Natural Resources teamed up with the Army for the project in an attempt to help Puget Sound's marine life. Dive team members say they've found numerous crabs, fish and other animals tangled up in the nets before they pull them out— all likely attracted by the fish captured in the nets, but ultimately ensnared as well.

The 86th Engineer Dive Detachment will continue to train and search the sound for derelict nets for the remainder of the month, then they're off to Alaska for a training mission supporting the Coast Guard in August.