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WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Project and Program Updates
Salmon SEEson Program in Full Swing!
The WRIA 8-led Salmon SEEson program kicked off in August, coordinating with program partners to highlight and promote opportunities for the public to see salmon in local streams and rivers when they return this summer and fall. The Salmon SEEson website provides a map and details for several self-guided viewing locations as well as in-person interpretive viewing opportunities.
This year, over 18,500 Chinook were estimated to have passed through the Locks. This count is the third highest in the past 20 years and is above the 5 and 10-year average return. It is important to note that the majority of returning fish are hatchery fish, and the numbers of salmon predicted by the Ballard Locks counts in recent years have been much higher than the numbers of salmon observed reaching the Issaquah Hatchery and spawning grounds. Unfortunately, this year's sockeye return continued to be low with an estimated 23,188 returning fish, the fourth lowest return on record since 1972. Coho began their run in late August and over 19,000 coho were counted passing through the Locks, which is below recent averages. We will know the numbers of fish that reached the spawning grounds and Issaquah Hatchery in November.
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Salmon SEEson is coordinated by WRIA 8 with additional sponsorship support from the Saving Water Partnership, Duwamish Alive Coalition, the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed (WRIA 9), the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum, and King County.
Celebrating the Arrival of the First Chinook Redd at Riverbend along the Cedar River
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The recently completed Riverbend floodplain restoration project is welcoming returning salmon to the dynamic, newly reconnected floodplain habitat, filled with all the things salmon love most: side channels with slower flows and wood in the water, and nearby and overhanging trees and understory plants. For migrating Chinook returning to their spawning grounds in the Cedar, they especially appreciate the newly disturbed and perfectly sized cobble for their redds, which are in abundance in the newly constructed side channels. King County’s Riverbend project was a high priority for WRIA 8. The restoration of over 50 floodplain habitat acres achieves 40% of WRIA 8’s 10-year floodplain reconnection goal. With low numbers of naturally-spawning Chinook returning to the Cedar River, habitat like this is especially important to recovery efforts. This initial redd is located right in the middle of the site, about where the red dot is in the photo.
State Salmon Recovery Funding Board Awards $50.3 Million in Grants to Recover Salmon
In addition to the $50.3 million in grants awarded to habitat protection and restoration projects, the Salmon Recovery Funding Board approved an additional $23.8 million in projects that could be funded if the Climate Commitment Act is not repealed and $142.1 million in projects that will be submitted to the state Legislature for funding consideration next year. In total, the board approved an unprecedented $216.3 million in salmon recovery projects.
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group Community Action Training School 2024
Mid Sound celebrated their Community Action Training School 2024 cohort through a symposium and graduation at Kenmore City Hall in September. Participants presented their 50-hour Stewardship Action Projects that they built from the ground up over the summer program. Projects ranged from creating an ecology club for the local elementary school to underwater ecosystem monitoring and training for the diving community. Thank you to our partners and speakers for inspiring collaboration, and to our funders (King County Flood Control District “Cooperative Watershed Management Award Program”) for making this all-ages educational programming available to WRIA 8 residents and organizations.
Sound Salmon Solutions Partnering with Mukilteo Surface Water Utility
Sound Salmon Solutions is bringing their Salmon in Schools program to three Mukilteo elementary schools thanks to the Mukilteo Surface Water Utility. Columbia Elementary, Endeavor Elementary and Mukilteo Elementary will receive a 55-gallon cold water aquarium to keep at their school to raise coho salmon from egg to fry. During the hatching time, the schools will also receive multiple lessons teaching students about the salmon lifecycle, salmon biology, and ways they as youth can help protect salmon habitat and their local environment. Next spring, the students will be taken on a field trip to three local streams in the City of Mukilteo that have been identified by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as a Salmon baring streams. The students will then release the Coho Salmon they reared in their classroom. Students will also learn about macroinvertebrates and learn how to identify native plants and how they are used by Indigenous peoples. For more information on the program please contact Meiring Borcherds.
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Draft Feasibility Study at the Edmonds Marsh
The Department of Ecology has released the Review Draft Feasibility Study for the Unocal property at the Edmonds Marsh. The clean-up solution selected by Chevron and Ecology is to leave the remaining contamination and simply cover it (their Alternative 6). Alternative 4 would require removal of the remaining contamination but that is more expensive, so was not selected. This means that any future owner that wants to restore the marsh will have to pay to clean up the pollution left by Chevron. Ecology is accepting comments through November 24. Submit comments here.
Salmon Friendly Lakes
Please join King Conservation District and Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group this Salmon SEEson for a free lakeshore resident webinar. We’ll dive into salmon-friendly practices for the home and yard, and explore how to prevent a new form of pollution from harming salmon - it’s as easy as flipping a switch! Lakeshore homeowners who attend this webinar are eligible to sign up for a chance to receive free technical assistance. Technical Assistance could result in: shoreline redesign, permitting, and funding opportunities.
- Lakeshore Resident Webinar - Wednesday, October 23, 2024 6:00 pm-7:30pm. Register here.
Lake City Floodplain Park
The Lake City Floodplain Park is a multi-benefit project that will improve in-stream and riparian habitat for fish and wildlife, benefit water quality, increase flood storage capacity, and create an accessible public green space for a community within a heavily urbanized, diverse, and underserved Seattle neighborhood. Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group has secured approval for a preferred conceptual (30%) design and are in contract negotiations that would fully fund the project through construction (to take place in 2026).
See the Conceptual Design and Help with Placemaking.
Bear Creek Updates from Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group completed another season of knotweed treatment throughout the Bear Creek basin in August of this year, treating 24 properties and a total of approximately 13,000 square feet of knotweed over the course of 3 days! Additionally, 20 site visits were conducted to private residential properties in the Bear Creek Basin. Nine properties were identified that are good candidates for Green Stormwater Infrastructure projects (5 rain gardens and 4 cisterns). Mid Sound is currently working with a contractor to get final project designs and contracts in place!
Septic System and Side Sewer Rebate Programs
The septic system rebate program is available throughout all of King County (not just unincorporated areas), however there is an income eligibility requirement for properties outside of Vashon-Maury Island and the Poverty Bay Shellfish Protection District. Businesses are eligible if they are a small business (the simple definition is in the application). The side sewer rebate program is available for properties within the Lakehaven and Midway Sewer Districts (think Federal Way and Des Moines area). No income eligibility requirements for that side sewer rebate. This rebate is only available for parts of WRIA 9.
The rebate program website has an eligibility map you can add an address to and find out what rebates are available for that property.
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Chennault Beach Drive Drainage Project: Enhancing Stormwater Management in Mukilteo, WA
The City of Mukilteo is proud to announce the commencement of the Chenault Beach Drive Drainage Project, a significant stormwater management initiative aimed at reducing flooding and improving the conveyance of stormwater to Chennault Beach Creek and Puget Sound. This project is a vital component of the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance environmental sustainability and protect our natural waterways. As part of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan, the Chennault Beach Drive Drainage Project addresses long-standing concerns regarding stormwater runoff in the area. With an estimated cost of $2.5 million, the Chennault Beach Drive Drainage Project represents a significant investment in the community’s future. Funding for the project has been secured through the Surface Water Utility Fund, reflecting a commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection. The project not only aims to alleviate flooding but also to enhance the overall quality of life for Mukilteo residents by creating a safer and more reliable stormwater management system. In addition to its immediate benefits, the project aligns with broader environmental goals, including the preservation of local habitats and the promotion of clean water initiatives. By reducing the volume of stormwater runoff and improving its quality, the City is taking proactive steps to safeguard the health of Chenault Beach Creek and Puget Sound, which are essential to the region’s biodiversity and recreational opportunities.
Salmon in the News
Hood Canal Salmon Run Sees Booming Recovery as Fish Face Extinction.
Read the full article.
Edmonds Marsh and Shellabarger Creek Restoration Complete.
Read the full article.
Upcoming Events
Welcome Fish Home!
Visit the Issaquah Hatchery through November for tours, events, and other opportunities to welcome the fish home.
View the website for more information!
West Sammamish River Trail
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group just received a delivery of over 500 native trees and shrubs! Volunteer starting at the end of October to help get them in the ground.
Grant Opportunities
Riparian Funding Opportunity
The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Ecology funds through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Puget Sound Recovery National Program Office to develop a grant program and facilitate subawards of these funds toward improving the climate resiliency of riparian systems in Puget Sound. Over $17 million dollars will be directed into riparian systems recovery projects and programs.
- Fall Request for Proposals Opens: November 5, 2024
- Pre-applicant Webinar: November 13, 2024 from 2:00-3:00pm.
- Initial Request for Proposals Closes: January 15, 2025 at 5:00pm.
More details and information regarding the Climate Resilient Riparian System grant program can be found at:
Please direct questions regarding the upcoming request for proposals or the application process to the Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Grant Lead, Libby Gier.
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