Budd Inlet is located between Henderson Inlet to the east and Eld Inlet to the west. The inlet is about 7 miles long and has an average width of 1.15 miles. The average depth is 27 feet with a maximum depth of 110 feet occurring near the mouth of the inlet. The inlet is classified as a shallow, poorly mixing estuary. The circulation and mixing pattern in the inlet are primarily driven by a two-layer system; the lower water column flows south toward the head of the inlet, and the upper water column flows north toward the mouth. A variety of land uses occur along the shoreline at the lower portion (southern end) of the inlet; these include undeveloped park shoreline, marinas, residences, and industrial facilities. This urbanized portion of the shoreline accounts for about one-third of the total shoreline. The upper portion (northern end) of the inlet is largely suburban in nature (Thurston County Advance Planning and Historic Preservation
[TCAPHP] 1995).

The Budd Inlet/Deschutes Watershed is comprised of 143 identified streams that provide over 256 linear miles of drainage. Total area of the watershed is 118,773 acres. The Deschutes River with its associated tributaries is the largest drainage system within the watershed. The 52 milelong river drains approximately 166 square miles or about 84% of the total watershed. Other notable streams within the Budd Inlet drainage are Percival/Black Lake Ditch, Ellis, Moxlie/Indian , Adams, Mission and Schneider creeks.

Description from the Salmon Habitat Limiting Factors Final Report Water Resource Inventory Area 13. For more information including salmonid stock status see the previously stated document or the Salmon Habitat Protection and Restoration Plan for Water Resource Inventory Area 13, Deschutes.