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WRIA 9 Happenings
Duwamish River Festival
Join Duwamish River Community Coalition at the Duwamish River Festival at People’s Park. This event will feature entertainment, kids’ activities, and more. View the website for more information.
- Saturday August 3, 2024 12:00-5:00 p.m.
- People's Park, 8700 Dallas Ave S., Seattle, WA 98108
Trout Trackers with Vashon Nature Center
Vashon Nature Center has completed the first season of Trout Trackers! This community science program is similar to the 20-year-old Salmon Watch program on Vashon. Trout Trackers ran from February 2024 until May. We had 21 volunteers surveying streams for coastal cutthroat trout in 7 island streams. Volunteers contributed 136 hours and found 36 adult trout, 1480 juvenile fish, and marked 17 redds in our island creeks! Trout-tastic! We also installed wildlife cameras on the stream study reaches to explore what other animals use our streams. Highlights can be viewed on the Trout Tracker YouTube playlist.
Read a summary of the findings for the season. Vashon Nature Center has further opportunities and upcoming programs for the summer as well, view opportunities to be involved on the webpage! We'd like to thank the Cutthroat Trout Coalition, King County Waterworks, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and founding sponsor Jamie Hatten for helping us kick off this program!
Hands on Invasive Removal
The Green River Coalition has been partnering with Orca Conservancy at our Soos Creek Park and Trail site to conduct hands on restoration events for our partners and communities. For Orca Action month two events were held on June 8th and 22nd, to remove reed canary grass and help planted species survive.
A hands-on invasive removal event is planned at the Riverview Site in Kent in partnership with the Study of United States Institute Woman Leaders of Central Asia.
Storming the Sound Success!
This May, the City of Federal Way wrapped up their annual event, Storming the Sound with Salmon! This partnership with Federal Way Public Schools supports 4th graders across the district in growing Coho salmon from eggs to understand the importance of salmon in our ecosystem. This year, 1,735 students from 24 schools participated in the annual salmon release at the West Hylebos Wetlands. Thanks to volunteers and local partnerships, students also had the opportunity to learn about orca conservation, macroinvertebrates, native plants, and more! If you are interested in volunteering or presenting at next year’s event, please reach out to SWM@federalwaywa.gov.
Artist in Residency Program Connecting Communities to the Watershed
At the beginning of the year the Green-Duwamish watershed was selected as one of five locations nationally to host an Artist in Residence, supported by the United States EPA and the National Endowment for the Arts. This program would provide funding for 18 months to an artist to complete a project connecting people to water and climate issues. Administered by the Green-Duwamish Urban Waters Federal Partnership with support from the National Estuary Program, this residency will look to connect art with environmental efforts, such as salmon recovery, throughout the watershed. The goals include using art to connect communities with watershed restoration efforts, embed culture and art in environmental endeavors, and increase our connection to place. Keep an eye out for a call for artists to be released later this summer and consider publicizing this opportunity widely to your communities. And please connect with Weston Brinkley if you have watershed efforts that may be improved through inclusion of art, or if you have lands, programs, or projects that could be lent to support artist endeavors
The City of Tukwila and Forterra closed on Acquisition to add to the Duwamish Hill Preserve
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In May, The City of Tukwila and Forterra, with substantial support from the King County Conservation Futures Tax Program grant, closed on the acquisition of two small parcels, adding 0.36 acres to the 10.5-acre Duwamish Hill Preserve, a culturally significant and geologically unique rocky bald glacial remnant along the Duwamish River. This acquisition is a continuation of the association that began in 2004 when Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) and the City, in partnership with Friends of the Hill, purchased the original 10.5 acres of the Preserve. In the original park masterplan, the City identified the acquisition of the two subject parcels to be incorporated into the park. The programming for the parcels has yet to be determined but could be used in relation to the Public Works’ Duwamish Hill Preserve Phase 3 CIP (WRIA 9 project DUW-63), aimed at restoring the shoreline and providing public access to the river.
Grant Announcements
Southern Fund Issues 2025 Call for Proposals
The Pacific Salmon Commission's Southern Fund Committee (SFC) is seeking proposals which are consistent with the Strategic Goals and Objectives of the Southern Fund as identified in the Southern Boundary Restoration and Enhancement Fund Strategic Plan. The 2025 priorities include salmon habitat preservation and restoration efforts related to soft-shore initiatives; off-channel habitat restoration fish passage and riparian revegetation. The SFC has reviewed investment performance and anticipates that about U.S. $3 million will be available for project funding in 2025. The final amount will depend on the status of investments and will be set in early 2025.
Concept submissions are due by August 20, 2024.
Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead Summer 2024 Request for Proposals
The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) accelerates Puget Sound recovery through strategies that improve the health of the rivers, forests, shorelines, and estuaries. HSIL is currently requesting proposals for projects focused on two FFY 2023-2025 investment priorities.
Investment Priority D: Restoration effectiveness of soft shore alternatives to hard armor Investment Priority E: Planning for sea level rise and climate related hazards to nearshore habitat
View the website for information regarding this funding opportunity including the solicitation, submission instructions, and frequently asked questions. This Request for Proposals closes at 5:00 pm Pacific August 27, 2024.
National Culvert Removal Replacement and Restoration Grant Program
The Culvert AOP Program was authorized in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for FY2022 through FY2026. The BIL established the Culvert AOP Program to provide discretionary grant funds for projects that would meaningfully improve or restore passage for anadromous fish. Approximately $196M is available for fiscal year 2024. View the Culvert AOP Program (FHWA) website for more Information on the program. The current application period closes September 23.
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