What's New in the Snoqualmie Watershed
In this edition...
Registration for Sound Salmon Solutions’ 2026 Salish Scientists Summer Camp is Open!
Salish Scientists Summer Camp is a week-long summer day camp where science comes alive through hands-on activities and game-based learning. Based at our hatchery, the Willow Creek Salmon and Watershed Education Center (WCSWEC), in Edmonds, the outdoors becomes a classroom. Students are immersed in our local watershed, learning about native wildlife and plants, and becoming empowered stewards within their communities.
Camp will run July - August, and students in 3rd - 7th grade are welcome. Thanks to our generous donors, full and partial scholarships are available. Learn more and register here!
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe designated the Snoqualmie River as a Cultural Waterway
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribal Council has designated the Snoqualmie River as a Cultural Waterway in order to ensure the proper regulation and management of the River and to preserve and protect it for generations to come.
- Critical conditions associated with climate change – from drought to flood – are worsening and pose a serious threat to all the ecosystems and communities within the waterway.
- Snoqulamie Indian Tribe urges partners to support and participate in their efforts to protect and restore flows in the Snoqualmie River.
The Tribal Council’s Resolution designates as a priority Cultural Waterway the 45-mile Snoqualmie River, its tributaries and all its associated waters, including but not limited to Snoqualmie Falls, the Tribe’s most sacred site. Learn more in the press release on their website.
Lower Snoqualmie Channel Migration Zone public rule
In 2025, King County, as service provider to the King County Flood Control District, completed a channel migration zone study and map on the lower Snoqualmie River, just below Snoqualmie Falls downstream to the King-Snohomish County line. Channel migration zone maps identify where a river or creek could move in the future. The maps help people make decisions that keep themselves, their families, and their properties safe.
You can see all channel migration hazard areas at kingcounty.gov/iMap. Turn on the Flooding info layer and check the box for Channel migration hazard areas to see risk information for a particular area. Please visit kingcounty.gov/RiversMove to view the study and maps and learn about channel migration in King County.
BeaverWise Field Notes: How Pond Levelers are Changing the Way we Live with Beavers
BeaverWise and Beavers Northwest recently installed two pond levelers in a beaver dam complex to reduce flooding on a neighboring Christmas tree farm. BeaverWise collaborated with four landowners who own the shared wetland, which supports a diversity of fish and wildlife in the Snoqualmie River floodplain. Pond levelers use HDPE pipe placed in a dam notch to control water levels, so even as beavers keep building, the water height stays the same. Properly maintained, they last 5 to 10+ years. Learn more at BeaverWise website or contact Justine Casebolt, Beaver Conservation Manager, for more information.
Septic Matters: a Quarterly Newsletter to Get Informed!
Public Health—Seattle and King County releases quarterly newsletter, Septic Matters, for King County residents. The series of newsletter includes key education from the field and helps break myths to better informed about septic care. Subscribe to seasonal newsletters: kingcounty.gov/oss/alerts
King County’s Septic System Maintenance Rebate Program is Back!
Maintaining a septic system regularly can help homeowners catch issues earlier and save money. This rebate program offers up to $500 to pay for septic system inspection, pumping, or riser installation. Septic property owners can plan for routine maintenance activities with the rebate program. A rebate is offered once per property starting April 13th, 2026 until July 2027, or until the funding is exhausted.
King County Inspires Snoqualmie Valley Students to Pursue Careers in Environmental Science
On Friday, March 20th, science staff from King County's Water and Land Resources Division joined 75+ businesses, organizations, and colleges at Mount Si High School’s annual college and career fair. Students participated in equipment demos, examined stream bugs and fish diet samples, and explored different career paths with the help of our new environmental science Career Cards.The students were surprised to learn about the variety of science happening nearby, and one especially eager student shared, “Of all the career fairs I’ve been to, I’ve never seen anything that so perfectly brings together everything I'm interested in!” For more information, contact Michelle Green at science@kingcounty.gov.
Funding Opportunities
2026 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grants
On April 1, the King County Flood Control District announced the availability of over $13 million in grant funding for projects that reduce the impact of flooding. These grants are for small and medium flood reduction projects that address existing or potential flooding in King County.
Eligible applicants include homeowner associations, schools, non-profits, tribes, cities and towns, and King County agencies. Visit the grant webpage to learn more, watch the informational session recording (Spanish interpretation included), and apply! Applications are due May 22.
Job Opportunities and Events
Outdoor Summer Internship!
Applications are open through April 23rd for the Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS) student internship! High school students from seven districts, including Riverview and Snoqualmie Valley, will receive an $1,800 stipend and 1.0 graduation credit while exploring restoration ecology and green careers through hands-on learning.
YESS is offered through the WANIC Skills Center, in partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Riverview School District, and Pacific Education Institute. Learn more and apply at tinyurl.com/yess-riverview.
Earth Month Extravaganza!
Is there a better way to celebrate the gift of nature in the Snoqualmie Valley than by throwing on your boots, grabbing a shovel and planting native trees and shrubs to restore fish and wildlife habitat? Stewardship Partners has multiple projects for you to join to celebrate Earth Month. Sign up here.
Earth Day Event Hosted by Snoqualmie Tribe and Mt Si High Green Team
The Snoqualmie Tribe and Mt Si High Green Team invite you to join us for our 6th annual Earth Day event on Saturday April 25th from 9am to 2pm! Hosted across the street from Mt Si High School at the Kimball Creek Slough Nature Study Area, there will be opportunities to remove non-native plants that harm our ecology, plant native plants to help our ecology, mulch, listen to birds, and interact with local environmental orgs tabling at the event. RSVP for the event on the Snoqualmie Tribe’s website, help spread the word, and join the youth in celebrating our beautiful planet Earth! You can also sign up for updates from the Tribe by joining their mailing list. This event is funded through CWM and the King County Floodwater Control District.
Salmon and Orca in the News
After record WA flooding, promising signs emerge at restoration site | The Seattle Times
How salmon shape regional identity and conservation in Puget Sound | Read an open access summary of the article in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
The past few months have included several new developments with the deadly tire chemical 6PPD-quinone. For the first time, scientists showed that the chemical is killing untold numbers of juvenile coho salmon in the wild, revealing an even more serious threat to the species than previously known:
Washington lawmakers also moved to ban the tire chemical in the state:
Statewide drought declared due to dismal snowpack | Washington State Department of Ecology
Once-adventurous salmon can’t believe she ended up moving back to birthplace, having a bunch of kids | The Onion
And, as always, remember that the beautiful "From Mt. Si to Wild Sky" watershed posters – featuring the photography of talented Valley residents – are available FREE from Renee Leichliter or by calling 206-848-0836.
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