King County watersheds share $8.3 million in state funds for salmon habitat protection, restoration

Habitat for salmon and other wildlife in King County's four major watersheds will see added improvements thanks to grants from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB).

Projects funded include floodplain restoration, levee setbacks, protecting high-quality habitat, removing fish passage barriers, and restoring Puget Sound shoreline.

Governor Chris Gregoire recently announced the board is awarding $7.1 million for 15 projects to protect and restore salmon habitat in King County. An additional $1.2 million was granted to a joint King-Pierce County project on the White River.

"These new funds provide significant funding for the many salmon recovery projects within the federally approved Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "While these projects are intended to help with salmon recovery, they also improve flood protection, protect water quality and often enhance recreational opportunities."

The state funds will be matched by funds from cities, King and Pierce counties, the King Conservation District and federal grants.

Four projects in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed received $2,625,450 with a match of $7,952,150.

Six projects in the Snoqualmie Watershed received $2,483,735 with a match of $2,993,871.

Five projects in the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed received a total of $1,983,238 with a match of $354,690.

One project in the White River, jointly proposed by King and Pierce counties, received a grant of $1,239,929 with a match of $1,500,000.

The watersheds stretch from the Cascade crest west to the shorelines of Puget Sound, and are home to chinook salmon, listed as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Sockeye and coho salmon and cutthroat and steelhead trout also depend on the freshwater and saltwater habitats in these watersheds. Restoring the health of these watersheds is a key part of the region's efforts to protect and restore Puget Sound.

Local projects competed with proposals from across the state in a rigorous evaluation process intended to identify the most effective and scientifically-sound projects statewide. Local watershed groups reviewed and prioritized projects before sending funding requests to the state.

Statewide, more than $60 million was awarded for habitat acquisition, restoration and assessment projects.

Here is a summary of the projects by watershed:

The Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed received grant awards for four projects:

Cedar River Rainbow Bend Acquisition to Restore the Floodplain – $1 million<. This grant will be used to acquire 20 acres of critical floodplain along the lower Cedar River. The City of Seattle and King County are working together to purchase the entire 40-acre floodplain known as Rainbow Bend to later reconnect the river with its floodplain, create side-channels for salmon spawning and rearing, and restore riparian habitat.

Cottage Lake Creek Conservation – $975,450. This King County project will acquire 35 acres along Cottage Lake Creek in the Bear Creek Basin. The parcels include a half-mile of regionally significant chinook spawning habitat.

Issaquah Integrated Fish Passage Improvement – $400,000. This feasibility and design project will evaluate removal or replacement of the Issaquah Hatchery water intake dam to open fish passage to more than 10 miles of upstream habitat. This City of Issaquah project will be closely coordinated with current work on habitat, hatchery and harvest integration discussions to tailor the project to the site.

Issaquah Creek Waterways Anderson Acquisition – $250,000. This City of Issaquah project will acquire almost four acres at the confluence of the mainstem and east fork of Issaquah Creek within 15 acres of city-owned parcels. East Fork Issaquah Creek is a major chinook spawning area and the area also supports sockeye, coho, steelhead, kokanee, and cutthroat.

The Snoqualmie/South Fork Skykomish Watershed in northeastern King County received grant awards for six projects:

Snoqualmie Floodplain/Cherry Creek Acquisition – $550,000. This grant will allow the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to acquire 142 acres of floodplain at the confluence of the Snoqualmie River and Cherry Creek. The project would protect up to 2 miles of river bank and expand a wildlife area near Duvall.

Cherry Creek Floodplain Restoration – $390,000. This grant will improve salmon habitat for adult and juvenile salmon in the Cherry Creek floodplain. The project will restore up to one mile of streams and consolidate three existing agricultural ditches north of Duvall. This project is managed by the non–profit Wild Fish Conservancy.

Camp Gilead Off-channel Habitat Reconnection – $171,481. This grant will be used by King County to reconnect four acres of off-channel habitat to the Snoqualmie River by removing 400 feet of bank armoring and enhancing the riparian area at Tolt MacDonald Park near Carnation.

Lower Tolt River Floodplain Reconnection – $1 million. This grant, also to King County, will fund removal of half a mile of levee in Tolt MacDonald Park at the confluence of the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers. The project will restore 12 acres of off-channel habitat, plant six acres of riparian area and create large woody debris.

Snoqualmie Riparian Restoration on Salmon Safe Farms – $209,060. This grant will restore 16 acres of riparian habitat and enhance three miles of the Snoqualmie River through native plantings on farms working toward "Salmon Safe Certification." Stewardship Partners, a nonprofit group, is the grant recipient.

Stillwater Wildlife Area Floodplain Restoration – $163,194. This grant will fund the design of salmon habitat restoration projects on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife land along the Snoqualmie River, including exploration of removing hardened river bank, installing log jams, and improving riparian habitat for juvenile salmon. This project will be conducted by the non-profit Wild Fish Conservancy.

The Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed in southern King County received grant awards for five projects:

North Wind's Weir Intertidal Restoration – $950,000. This grant will contribute to creation of two acres of shallow water resting and rearing habitat in the Duwamish River "transition zone" that is essential for salmon recovery. The Tukwila site, located upstream of the most polluted part of the river, is important because this reach of the estuary provides the appropriate range of salinities for juvenile Chinook to transition from the freshwater of the Green/Duwamish River to the salt water of Puget Sound. The project will be carried out by King County in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Green River Restoration – $250,000. King County will use this grant to design and permit a restoration project that will improve spawning and rearing habitat on 20 acres of Green River floodplain and 3,000 linear feet of river near Auburn.

Point Heyer Shoreline Preservation – $360,000. This grant to King County will fund acquisition of shoreline parcels from willing landowners. Located on the eastern shoreline of Vashon Island, the shoreline near Point Heyer provides high quality habitat for migrating juvenile salmon.

Beaconsfield–on–the–Sound Shoreline Restoration – $380,738. This grant will be used to help acquire a quarter-mile stretch of shoreline in Normandy Park. The project involves working with willing landowners to remove unnecessary bulkheads that are not protecting houses and properties. This project will be conducted by the non-profit Cascade Land Conservancy.

Riverton Creek Flapgate Removal – $42,500. This grant will fund a feasibility analysis to determine whether two culvert flapgates can be removed to re-connect Riverton Creek and the Duwamish River in Tukwila. Creating a connection will restore full fish access to more than 1,200 feet of stream channel and will provide shelter for juvenile salmons from predators and refuge during high river flows. The City of Tukwila will be leading this project.

The White River Watershed in southern King County received one grant award:

White River County line Acquisition and Setback Levee – $1,239,929. This joint project between King and Pierce counties will reconnect the river channel to its floodplain along the left bank of the White River at the King-Pierce county line in the cities of Pacific and Sumner. The project potentially includes acquiring up to 49 acres to set back an existing levee, increase habitat complexity, and to make improvements to the riparian buffer.

For more information on salmon habitat conservation in the watersheds, visit http://www.govlink.org/watersheds/.