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WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Updates
Cedar River Downstream Habitat Program
Seattle Public Utilities continues its 20+ year investment commitment in the Cedar River Downstream Habitat Program this summer with the construction of the Upper Royal Arch Reach Floodplain Restoration Project. The project is reconnecting and creating a network of side-channel and wetland complex rearing and refuge habitat for juvenile salmon, especially Chinook fry. SPU acquired the seven-parcel, 19-acre upper reach property from 2012-2019. The project will remove bank armoring from the entire reach, then reconnect/construct approximately 4500 linear feet of side channels, 3.2 acres of riparian wetland, and install 350 pieces of large wood in multiple structures. SPU is working with restoration ecologists at King County Water and Land Division on the project, following successful collaboration on Rainbow Bend and Riverbend Projects. Contact Brent.Lackey@seattle.gov for more info.
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Construction on the Bear Creek Tretheway Project in the Bear Creek Watershed
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group has started construction on an instream restoration project on private property in the Bear Creek watershed. Limiting factors for juvenile Chinook in this stretch of Bear Creek include channelization, bank armoring, low complexity, and minimal riparian buffer. By the time construction wraps up, a projected 520 linear feet of bank armor will have been and 1,500 cubic yards of ground to improve floodplain connectivity, increased spring low flows by 50%, reduced velocity at the 1.5-year flood event by 30%, placed 282 pieces of in-stream wood, and restored 34,000 square feet of riparian buffer. The property owners are excited that the project will provide Chinook and other salmonids a home better suited to their needs! Email amani@midsoundfisheries.org to learn more.
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Puget Sound Day on the Sound Event
Puget Sound Partnership and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission are convening an in-person “Puget Sound Day on the Sound” gathering of Puget Sound and salmon recovery partners and supporters on Tuesday, October 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Rhodes Center (950 Broadway) in Tacoma. The event features a series of panel discussions with members of Congress, Tribal leaders, and state and federal agency leaders on topics related to Puget Sound and salmon recovery, Tribal treaty rights, and relevant happenings in “the other Washington.”
Salmon in the News
Big Salmon Run at Seattle's Ballard Locks is Wowing Visitors
Read the full article.
Scene in Edmonds: Marsh Restoration Work Continues.
Read the full article.
Federal Investments in Fish Passage
Treaty Tribes Haul in Chinook Bounty on Seattle's Elliot Bay, Duwamish.
Read the full article.
King County Shows off Salmon Habitat on the Duwamish River Where Once Stood a Hotel.
Read the full article.
Project and Program Updates
Community Action Training School in the Watershed
In July, Community Action Training School toured the Riverbend Restoration site on the Cedar River with Jon Hansen (King County) as a field guide. The day started with gazing at the Cedar River from the Renton Library comparing salmon habitat conditions in a highly urbanized context and at the newly restored site. The CATS cohort is busy at work on their Stewardship Action Projects. We look forward to celebrating this amazing group and their work for our watersheds at a symposium and graduation to be scheduled for late October. Email tracy@midsoundfisheries.org for an invitation!.
Japanese Gulch Creek Daylighting
The City of Mukilteo is excited to continue the next steps to daylight Japanese Gulch Creek. This project would remove culverts to daylight the outfall of Japanese Gulch Creek to provide improved salmon habitat and to encourage salmon rearing in the creek system. Additionally, the project would provide public park amenities, including access to the shoreline, areas to view the natural habitat, and a section of trail to connect uses along the shoreline. Park development will include soft shore stabilization to create a pocket estuary, native vegetation plantings, constructing paths connecting to the waterfront promenade, and overlook nodes.
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Learn About and Protect Neighborhood Creeks in Kirkland!
The City of Kirkland is excited to announce the launch of a new interactive dashboard to help residents explore, learn about, and protect our neighborhood creeks! Kirkland monitors the health of 12 watersheds using physical, chemical, and biological data. These dashboards share the results of these monitoring efforts in a user-friendly, interactive format.
The dashboard, funded by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, also provides information on actions the City is taking to protect our creeks and improve habitat, as well as easy actions residents can take in their daily lives. View the website to learn more.
The Future of Clean Water
The American Chemical Society published a discovery report on water contaminants such as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), effects of climate change, desalinization, water purification methods, challenges and opportunities for making clean water available. Clean water is a basic requirement of salmon and other living things in our watershed, this report may be of interest to some for reference in future work done in the watershed. View the website or contact Carl Scandella, Town of Yarrow Point Councilmember, for more information.
Upcoming Events
Second Annual Salmon on Sunset at The Issaquah Salmon Hatchery!
You’re invited to celebrate our salmon home for this 2nd annual FISH Celebration! Fun activities and entertainment for all ages. Live salmon spawning action, beer garden, rubber duck derby, self-guided tours, and more! View the website for more information.
- Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 10 AM - 6 PM - all ages welcome!
Funding Opportunities
Salmon Recovery Project Innovation and Community Grants - Request for Proposals Now Open
Salmon recovery requires inclusive, collaborative, and innovative approaches to developing projects and advancing programmatic initiatives. The WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council encourages proposals that support innovative or conceptual projects that contribute to early stages of future capital project development and/or incorporate equity and environmental justice principles into salmon recovery work. These funds provide an exciting opportunity to advance key aspects of salmon recovery by initiating project planning and development in priority areas of the watershed and fostering community-building and collaboration to meet multiple objectives. Contact Carrie Byron for more information.
NOAA Fish Passage Opportunities
Nearly $175 million in funding is available through the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. In collaboration with NOAA, selected partners will use these funds to remove dams and other in-stream barriers, reopen migratory pathways, and restore access to healthy habitat for fish around the country. NOAA will accept proposals with a federal funding request of between $1 million and $20 million over the award period. The application deadline is October 16, 2023.
Nearly $85 million is available for fish passage and tribal capacity building under the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. This funding will support U.S. federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and tribal organizations in building tribal organizational capacity and implementing projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for tribally-important species. NOAA will accept proposals between $300,000 and $12 million. The application deadline is November 8, 2023.
Webinars for potential applicants:
Ecology's Water Quality Program Opportunity
Ecology’s Water Quality Program is releasing a new round of funding for nonpoint restoration and stormwater projects. The application period opens on August 15 and closes on October 12. View more information as well as materials from past training webinars for potential applicants on the website.
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