The King County Flood Control District (FCD) executive committee recently approved to allocate $3.5 million for the Willowmoor floodplain project.
The funding was unanimously approved by the executive committee, which sent the proposal to the full FCD board of supervisors for final action. Currently, the FCD executive committee is still working on the proposal, so no action has been taken.
Willowmoor — which is the transition zone between the Sammamish River and Lake Sammamish, running through Marymoor Park outside of Redmond — has been a topic of discussion for a number of years as an area in need of habitat restoration.
As previously reported in March, employees from King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks hosted a public meeting at the Redmond Senior Center to present project design alternatives to address existing flood-control and habitat issues.
According to a King County press release, the Willowmoor floodplain restoration project proposes to reconfigure the Sammamish River transition zone and adjacent undeveloped King County property. The release states that increased vegetation within the zone has raised concerns about high lake levels impacting properties surrounding the lake. The restoration project is focused on reducing the frequency and duration of high lake levels caused by the Sammamish River while continuing to protect habitat vital for recovery of salmon species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Funding for the restoration effort was part of the six-year CIP budget adopted by the FCD this year. King County Council members and supervisors Jane Hague and Kathy Lambert requested the additional $3.5 million, which will be used for permitting and construction of the project, the release states. The money will also help leverage funding with the other jurisdictions and organizations that are part of the overall project.
“Flooding has been a longstanding issue in this area,” said FCD Chair Reagan Dunn in the press release. “Supervisors Hague and Lambert represent this area on the flood district and they have worked hard on this problem. I’m glad we are one step closer to solving this issue.”
Hague said prior to the FCD approving the $3.5 million, there had not been any funding. She said this money, which is authorized by the state, will allow them to do actual physical work on the project.
“The $3.5 million is very significant,” said Hague, who added that the work probably won’t begin until sometime next year.
Willowmoor affects both Hague’s King County District 6 as well as Lambert’s King County District 3 — both of which are located just outside of Redmond.
“Flooding has been an issue in this area for many years and this puts us on a good path to solving the problem,” said Lambert in the King County press release. “We will also continue to work closely with neighbors throughout the entire process.”
In the release, Hague added, “The homeowners around Lake Sammamish have fought the effects of flooding for years. We need a permanent solution for a free-flowing channel in the Sammamish River and the additional benefits of the Willowmoor project. Citizens will have the opportunity to partner with King County Flood District to bring lasting results to a chronic and expensive concern.”
