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Help Salmon – Join an Upcoming Earth Day Event!
Earth Day at the Hatchery
All are invited to the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery for Earth Day Weekend for a day free family fun and educational activity. Write a good luck letter to our juvenile salmon before they begin their journey, feed the trout, complete the scavenger hunt, learn about salmon in our Watershed Science Center, find fishy items in the gift shop, help with habitat restoration projects (for all ages), learn how to cast a fly or salmon catapult, or listen to mermaid Luna Lee tell stories about the salmon's miraculous journey.
Earth Day Volunteer Event at the Ballard Locks
Join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Earth Day for habitat restoration at the Ballard Locks. Volunteers will work to install a new Pollinator Garden above our Salmon Ladder. Meet in the Fish Ladder Plaza. All ages welcome!
Earth Deserves More than a Day
Join Rainier Avenue Radio for an annual, FREE, all-ages environmental justice event “Earth Deserves More Than a Day”. Enjoy panel discussions and activities at Columbia City Theater or online, after-school youth programming, a volunteer event at Skyway Park, an outing to the Duwamish River, and more.
What we eat and drink, the air we breathe, where we live, our access to the outdoors – these are all examples of how environmental justice shows up in our lives. Join us to find out more about environmental justice in your community.
- Monday, April 21- Saturday, April 26. Visit the webpage to learn more about the full event schedule, times, and registration.
WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Project and Program Updates
Herring Spawning at Golden Gardens
Herring are an important prey item for juvenile Chinook salmon and other salmon species. A herring spawning event occurred at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle recently, with herring eggs covering eelgrass and seaweed and collecting in sand troughs and on anemones at the popular park. Herring spawning in the vicinity of Elliott Bay has previously been observed in nearshore areas south of Shilshole, but scientists have only been monitoring for herring spawning around Elliott Bay since 2012 and have seen several shifts or expansions of spawning distribution as they continue to learn what areas the herring prefer. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) surveyed the area and are encouraged to see spawn in the area for the first time since 2020, though caution that eggs on the sand are not likely to survive (see Herring Spawning distribution between Golden Gardens and Carkeek Park on the WDFW Forage Fish Spawning Map). King County and WDFW were alerted of the spawning event by a former Beach Naturalist volunteer, highlighting the value of having trained naturalists on our beaches.
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King County’s Major Sewer Upgrade in Bellevue is the First Project of its Kind to Earn Salmon-Safe Certification
King County’s major sewer upgrade in Bellevue is the first infrastructure project of its kind to earn Salmon-Safe certification, simultaneously modernizing essential wastewater infrastructure for a growing population, improving habitat for fish and wildlife, and increasing access to nature for people of all abilities.
Read the online news release to learn more!
Fish War Will be Available for Streaming
When the state of Washington made it illegal for tribes to fish for salmon in their usual and accustomed places, it was a declaration of war. The film, Fish War, follows the tribes’ fight to exercise their treaty-reserved fishing rights. The “Boldt Decision,” a landmark court case in 1974 affirmed the tribes’ treaty rights and established them as co-managers of the resource, but the fate of salmon in the Pacific Northwest still hangs in the balance.
Fish War will be available on April 15 on Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at home and Vimeo. Visit the website to learn more.
Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery April Update
So far this year, 21 FISH volunteers have contributed over 200 hours to teach salmon conservation at 11 school and community events with their Salmon Science Table program. On April 1, WDFW released 468,000 juvenile coho into Issaquah Creek, and for the first time, FISH volunteers captured underwater footage with a mobile camera.
Kokanee Update from Trout Unlimited
With the second highest return observed in 25 years, more than 8,300 kokanee adults returned to spawn in 2024. Fortunately, with the mild winter we experienced, the Three Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited and their volunteers from our community are busily counting kokanee fry as they migrate to the lake which they have done annually for the last 18 years. This season, we are seeing many nights with several thousand kokanee fry being trapped, counted, and released. This is incredible to see and we expect the numbers to grow over the next few weeks when migration tends to peak. Many thanks to volunteers and cheers to the little red fish!
Stormwater – The Silent Threat
This video, produced by Latino NW Communications with the support of King County and the City of Renton, addresses a silent threat that is endangering the ecosystem around us and, as a result, our health. It highlights the actions we can all take to reduce the negative impact of this threat in the Pacific Northwest and other regions of the planet.
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Watch Stormwater Pollution: The Silent Threat
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Mira Contaminacion de Aguas Pluviales: La Amenaza Silenciosa (Spanish version)
For more information, or a copy of the media tour report, email Mary.Rabourn@kingcounty.gov
The 2025 Wastemobile Season has Begun!
This free hazardous waste collection service will be traveling throughout King County from February through October, making it easy and safe for you to drop off unwanted household hazardous waste. Common items brought to these events include oil-based paints, pesticides, automotive products, cleaners, and batteries. Be sure to check out the full list of accepted items and quantity limits for residents and eligible businesses at the Haz Waste Program’s website.
View the website to learn more about the program and view the complete 2025 Wastemobile schedule. All Wastemobile events operate Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For questions or more information, call the Hazardous Waste Helpline at 206-296-4692.
Salmon in the News
King County scientists show that a special bioretention soil mixture effectively removes salmon-killing tire dust chemical (6PPD-q) from stormwater.
Read the King County media release.
Read the Seattle Times article.
Upcoming Events
Registration is open for the King County Noxious Weed’s annual “Into the Weeds” webinar series!
This 2-day series is free to the public, hosted online, and free. Each day presents new and engaging environmental restoration/invasive species management topics from industry professionals. WSDA licensed pesticide applicators can earn up to 8 education credits (4 per day). See the FAQ and agendas on the Eventbrite registration pages below.
Please register separately for each day below (different agendas/Zoom links):
2025 Stream and Wetland Ecology Basic Training hosted by Adopt a Stream Foundation
The Watershed Education Experience is a comprehensive overview of stream and wetland basic ecology developed to deepen understanding of watersheds and the interconnections between humans, forests, wetlands, streams, and fish and wildlife. This course is an excellent introduction to stream and wetland ecology for everyone interested in the natural world and the ecology of the Pacific Northwest, and most of the learning takes place outside on the beautiful grounds of the Northwest Stream Center.
The majority of the class will take place outdoors on an incredible Nature Walk, a terrific place to learn the interconnections between forest, wetlands, streams, fish, wildlife, and people!
The 2025 class dates are on the last Fridays of the month:
- April 25, May 30, June 27, July 25 between 10a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Register online or call 425-316-8592.
Grant Opportunities
2025 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grants
The King County Flood Control District announced the availability of at least $13 million in grant funding for projects that reduce the impact of flooding. These grants are for small and medium local flood reduction projects that address existing or potential flooding. Eligible applicants include homeowner associations, schools, non-profits, tribes, cities and towns, and King County agencies.
Join the information session on April 16, 2-3:30 p.m. (Spanish translation will be available.) Applications are due May 23. Learn more and apply.
Member Jurisdiction Grants from King Conservation District
In 2024, King Conservation District awarded $802,655 for 14 conservation projects across King County. Visit the Member Jurisdiction Grant Program page to learn more about the program, see funds available for your city, and submit a new grant application.
Help spread the word about Member Jurisdiction Grants. Many cities have additional grant funds available to them. Nonprofits can partner with a city for a conservation project. Nonprofit organizations and other groups can manage the grant requirements on behalf of the city. To learn more about what types of projects KCD funds,email Jessica.Saavedra@kingcd.org, call 425-773-9065, or schedule a meeting with her via Calendly.
National Coastal Resilience Fund
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)—in partnership with NOAA, the U.S. Department of Defense, Occidental, and Shell—is now soliciting pre-proposals for the 2025 National Coastal Resilience Fund.
NFWF will award grants to create and restore natural systems to increase protection for communities from coastal hazards, such as storms, sea- and lake-level changes, inundation, and coastal erosion, while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species. Pre-proposals must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system no later than May 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
An informational webinar will provide an overview of the National Coastal Resilience funding opportunity. This year’s webinar will be pre-recorded and available on the RFP webpage.
For more information or questions about this RFP, please contact the NCRF program team at NCRF@nfwf.org
City of Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund
City of Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund is now accepting applications. The EJ Fund seeks to invest in community-led projects advancing climate justice with a goal of strengthening Seattle communities most affected by climate change, extreme weather, and environmental inequities – BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, youth, elderly, and low-income folks.
This year there are 3 options:
1. Grants from $10K - $40K,
2. Grants from $40,001K - $90K
3. Grants from $10K - $90K that are led by and serve communities in the Duwamish Valley
City of Seattle is also offering virtual information sessions:
There is also an option to request FREE support from a Technical Assistant Consultant no later than Thursday, 5/15. To request interpretation or other accommodations for information sessions, please email equityenviro@seattle.gov at least one week before the session you plan to attend. Application period closes at 5 p.m. on Tuesday 6/3.
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