What's New
Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed
Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 8
WRIA 8 Legislative Priorities
The 2013 Legislative Priorities for Puget Sound Watershed Health and Salmon Habitat Recovery were finalized by the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council at the January 17, 2013 meeting.
2012 Grant Awards
On December 10, 2012 the Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) awarded WRIA 8 $778,356 in SRFB/Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) funding for the following five projects:
- River Bend Floodplain Acquisition (King County) - $299,000 King County will purchase 0.84 acres of the 18.64 acre River Bend mobile home park in Maple Valley, for future restoration of important salmon and floodplain habitat. This acquisition also helps move residents out of a frequently flooded area and fills a gap in approximately 5 miles of publicly-owned habitat along the left bank of the Cedar River.
- Cedar River Belmondo Reach Acquisition (Seattle Public Utilities) - $150,000 Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will purchase 3.8 acres of a 12.65 acre property on the lower Cedar River in King County. This project is part of larger efforts by SPU and King County to protect and restore salmon habitat in the Cedar River. The project will protect some of the best remaining salmon habitat in the lower Cedar River and restore riparian and upland areas that have been impacted by invasive plants and development.
- Confluence Parks/Issaquah Creek Restoration (City of Issaquah) - $225,000 The City of Issaquah will supplement construction funding to restore aquatic and riparian habitat for Chinook, coho, cutthroat, steelhead, and kokanee salmon at the confluence of the Issaquah Creek and East Fork Issaquah Creek. The restoration includes removing approximately 1000 lineal feet of hardened creek banks (rock "rip-rap"); reconfiguring 1900 feet of channel; adding approximately 8 engineered log jams, large woody debris and other pool-forming features; creating approximately 0.3 mile of side-channel habitat for juvenile salmonids at the two relic oxbows; replanting approximately 2.3 acres of the riparian corridor; and, restoring approximately 0.3 acres of wetland habitat.
- Little Bear Creek Knotweed Assessment (Snohomish County) - $30,000 Snohomish County will assess the extent of invasive knotweed and develop a strategy for prioritizing control and riparian reforestation work in the Little Bear Creek sub-basin.
- Bear Creek Reach 6 Restoration (Adopt A Stream Foundation) - $74,356 The Adopt A Stream Foundation (AASF) will restore 370 linear feet of stream channel and riparian area on Bear Creek in the City of Redmond. AASF is working with private landowners to develop a restoration strategy for the entire property while actively coordinating with the City of Redmond to assure that the work is compatible with future restoration efforts in the reach.
In July 2012 WRIA 8 received $1,200,000 in Cooperative Watershed Management Grants from the King County Flood Control District. Projects funded inlcude:
- River Bend Floodplain Acquisition (King County) - $750,000 King County will acquire a 18.64 acre property along the Cedar River in Maple Valley for future floodplain and salmon habitat restoration. Acquiring this property fills a gap in significant public ownership and habitat along the left bank of the Cedar River between the Elliot Bridge Reach and Belmondo Natural Area, and is adjacent to the Cedar Rapids floodplain restoration site. The Riverbend mobile home park is currently located on the property, and has experienced significant flooding. Through acquisition and eventual restoration of the property, King County seeks to restore habitat and reduce flood risk by relocating residents. Additional funding is necessary for relocating residents and habitat restoration.
- Cedar River Stewardship-in-Action: Focus on Invasives (Seattle Public Utilities ) - $61,312 This project will build on Seattle Public Utilities' existing effort with Forterra and the Friends of the Cedar River Watershed to remove invasive species and restore riparian ecosystems in the lower Cedar River Watershed. Stewardship-in-Action will focus on invasive species identification and eradication, replanting treated areas, and outreach and education of river-front property owners.
Factsheets on Bulkheads and Docks are Now Available
WRIA 8 has produced two factsheet handouts designed for permit staff to give to landowners when they apply for shoreline permits:
WRIA 8 Five-Year Implementation Progress Report
The Five-Year Implementation Progress Report documents the state of the Chinook salmon populations, the watershed, and efforts to implement the WRIA 8 Chinook Conservation Plan during the first five years (2005-2010) of implementation. This information was presented and discussed at the WRIA 8 Summit: Our First Five Years - Our Future in December 2010.
Chinook Salmon Research Review Presentations
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed over a decade of research on the habitat use and behavior of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lake Washington system. These presentations highlight research findings from this long-term study.