|
WRIA 8 Updates
The US Geological Survey finished Preliminary Light Mapping Effort in Lake Washington. Artificial light (ALAN) extends twilight periods and increases nocturnal light levels at and below the water’s surface, increasing susceptibility of juvenile salmon to predation. Salmon predators hunt visually and foraging ability improves with increasing light. The USGS study used ultra-sensitive light sensors to measure relative light levels on the water surface along the shorelines and offshore regions of Lake Washington at night. Relative light intensities are shown by the colors on the map (higher values represent brighter areas). This map is an initial step toward understanding how artificial light affects salmon survival.
View the map in more detail.
Salmon in the News
Low rainfall leads to an odd and changing year for salmon, killer whales, and people
For the first time in years, multiple pods of endangered orcas were seen together in Puget Sound creating a superpod. These gatherings have become less frequent because of lower salmon populations that cause the whales to continue moving onto their next meal. This season has seen a rise in fish returns but was unique due to a significant delay in fish hitting the spawning grounds, likely a result of an unusual rainfall pattern. Low rains prevented fish from getting upstream and forced some to head downstream, causing females to dig up eggs laid earlier by other fish. Frequent obstacles this season have also prevented fish from making it to spawn including culverts, beaver dams, and sediment. Due to the low rainfall from early fall this year salmon and orcas are likely to spend longer of the season out of streams and in Puget Sound transitioning and feeding.
Read the full article.
Climate change could make WA Streams too hot for fish, report shows
Read the Seattle Times article about this topic.
Project and Program Updates
Salmon Friendly – Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
Mid Sound's Green Stormwater infrastructure program, Salmon Friendly, is well underway in the Bear Creek Watershed. Three cisterns have already been installed on private properties, with 17 more GSI projects in the works. This project involves installation of rain gardens, cisterns, and native plant gardens on private residences to reduce stressors on salmon habitat caused by stormwater runoff.
Visit the webpage to learn more about this program
West Sammamish River Trail Revegetation Project (WSRT) - Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
This year Mid Sound has hosted 363 volunteers across 20 events at the West Sammamish River Trail in Woodinville. Volunteers planted an impressive 360 plants across two events in February, and have since moved north to clear approximately 5,000 square feet of Himalayan blackberry.
Visit the webpage to learn more or to register to volunteer.
Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust hosts Tree Planting Ceremony
In late October, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust hosted its (typically) annual Tree Planting Celebration for the first time since 2019 with more than 100 volunteers in attendance. Roughly 1,000 native trees and shrubs were planted within the last remaining unrestored portion of riparian buffer along Issaquah Creek in Lake Sammamish State Park. The site is approximately 3 acres and like most of the buffer of Issaquah Creek prior to restoration, was a monoculture of blackberry and reed canary grass. Restoration efforts such as this, dating as far back as 2005, have paved the way for more comprehensive, in-stream large woody material restoration, which is planned for construction in the summer of 2023.
Read more about the Tree Planting Ceremony.
Taylor Creek Restoration Project Update
Design of the lower Taylor Creek (at 90% design) is on-hold while SPU continues to find a community and Parks supported approach for better sediment management and creek restoration in Dead Horse Canyon. SPU developed 3 options for LWM installation in the canyon. Two of the options included construction of a temporary access road which would have required removal of many trees. In response to community feedback one of the options has been eliminated and the project team is now working with community to identify alternative approaches that are less impactful.
View project updates on the project site.
Year-end Reflection
We are staring a new section in the WRIA 8 newsletter dedicated to salmon-related creative expression. We invite anyone who is inspired to submit poetry, drawings, illustrations, photography, or other artwork to be featured.
Please enjoy the poem below written by Judy Blanco, King County Cedar River and Bear Creek Basin Steward and Lauren Urgenson, WRIA 8 Technical Coordinator. Their poem "Otolith" was recently selected for inclusion in a new poetry anthology about salmon created by Washington State Poet Laureate, Rena Priest.
Otolith
Tiny Ear stone
Chronicler of time and Space
A tale in rings
Day by day a life etched
Recording movement, waters, dangers, home
Center notes evoke
Rich ember yolk then mayflies, stones, caddis, midges
Signatures of ancient rock and nascent acts of living
Changing seasons leave their mark
like the space between songs
Proof of the return or departure alone to river or sea
Thousands of miles of waves and currents in micrometers
Concentric extensions of a great journey
Each salmon gives us their story,
their warnings, the story of the earth itself
Are we listening?
Upcoming Events and Funding Opportunities
Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed (WRIA 8) 2023 Salmon Recovery Grants - Now Open!
The Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed (WRIA 8) Salmon Recovery Council is pleased to announce its annual request for proposals for salmon recovery grant funding through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) and King County Flood Control District Cooperative Watershed Management (CWM) programs. Eligible activities (depending on the funding source) include habitat restoration and protection projects, outreach and education programs, and monitoring activities. Successful proposals will implement activities identified in or consistent with the 2017 WRIA 8 Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan Update and the WRIA 8 Four-Year Work Plan.
Notices of intent are due January 25, 2023. View our funding opportunities website for more information and application instructions
Apply for a WaterWorks Grant to Fund Water Quality Projects in your Community
King County’s WaterWorks Grant Program is providing $5 million in funding for community-driven projects that will help protect water quality, control pollution, and build healthy communities in King County.
The grant cycle will start January 4, 2023, and applications are due March 8, 2023, for the competitive track. Non-profits, tribes, cities, schools, and special purpose districts are eligible to apply. Projects must provide an improvement to water quality in the Wastewater Treatment Division service area. Project types can include installing raingardens or other GSI, restoration, community engagement and education, water quality monitoring, research, and pollution prevention.
For more information, view the website, email Water Grants, or call Elizabeth Loudon at 206-477-4296 or Kelley Govan at 206-263-1248.
King County Parks announces 2023 levy grant programs
The 2023 Parks Levy Grants Guidelines have details about 2023 funding, eligibility, applying, and the evaluation process for multiple grant programs. The request for applications will open in January 2023. King County Parks is hosting a series of webinars to share details about these grant programs, procedures, and policies with prospective applicants and community partners. Visit the website for more information.
Sign up for upcoming webinars.
Sign up for the Parks Grants email list.
Open Space Acquisition Funding Available - Apply by March 6, 2023
King County is seeking applications for 2024 King County Conservation Futures grants. Conservation Futures grants can help acquire parks and open spaces for passive recreation such as urban greenspaces, natural areas, forests, community gardens, farms, and trails. Grants can be awarded to cities, the county, park districts, and eligible 501c3 nonprofit nature conservancies and historic preservation associations. Community groups or individuals may partner on projects with local agencies and eligible nonprofits. Acquisitions in historically underserved areas may qualify for a match waiver to cover the full purchase price.
Visit the King County Conservation Futures webpage for more information or email Ingrid Lundin.
Ecology soliciting applications for Local Flood Hazard Planning grants
The Washington Legislature established the state Flood Control Assistance Account Program (FCAAP) in 1984 to help local and Tribal governments plan for and reduce their flood risks. Soliciting local grant applications starts February 15, 2023 and Ecology will be hosting two 90-minute workshops in January 2023 to help any interested FCAAP grant applicants.
- Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 11:30a.m. Register in advance.
- Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Register in advance.
Visit the FCAAP website for more information.
|
