Fourth in a Four-Part Blog Series from the King County Flood Control District
By Steven Schauer, Deputy Executive Director
This year marks a 25-year milestone of coordinated watershed-based salmon recovery partnerships for Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs). The King County Flood Control District (KCFCD) is proud to join in the celebration! Established under the Water Resources Act of 1971 and formalized in Washington Administrative Code, WRIAs provide a foundational framework for watershed management across the state. Washington is divided into 62 WRIAs based on natural watershed boundaries—areas where rain and snowmelt collect and flow through tributaries, streams, and rivers. Since 2001, local agreements have enabled watershed-based forums to coordinate and guide local approaches to water management, habitat protection and restoration, and salmon recovery.
In King County, the KCFCD plays a vital role in supporting watershed restoration efforts. For over 12 years, the KCFCD has allocated a portion of its capital budget through the Cooperative Watershed Management (CWM) Grant Program to fund salmon habitat protection and restoration and watershed health priorities in WRIA 7 (Snoqualmie/South Fork Skykomish), WRIA 8 (Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish), WRIA 9 (Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound), and WRIA 10 (Puyallup-White).
Since doubling the CWM program’s budget in 2020, the KCFCD now provides 70–80% of the secured funds for WRIA restoration efforts annually in King County. In 2025 alone, the District awarded $12.26 million in CWM grants, leveraging an additional $4.8 million in matching funds, to support habitat and water quality projects across all nine King County council districts.
Each grant award is determined through a competitive, independently managed process guided by the priorities of each WRIA’s forum. This significant investment reflects the KCFCD’s longstanding commitment to collaborative, science-driven watershed restoration and flood risk reduction.
To mark this important anniversary, the KCFCD is launching a four-part blog series spotlighting successes in each of the WRIAs it supports. Today’s blog is the fourth and final installment in the series and it is about the Puyallup and Chambers Watersheds Salmon Recovery Lead Entity.
Understanding WRIA 10
WRIA 10, encompassing the Puyallup, White, and Carbon rivers, is part of the combined WRIA 10/12 Salmon Recovery Lead Entity jurisdiction. This committee develops and ranks salmon recovery project proposals for the watershed and is staffed by Pierce County Surface Water Management and includes representatives from both Pierce and King counties, other local jurisdictions, tribes, nonprofits, citizens, and state agencies.
Key salmon stocks—including ESA‑listed White River spring Chinook, Puyallup fall Chinook, steelhead, and coho—are priorities for the Lead Entity. The group supports restoration and protection strategies across floodplains, estuaries, and important tributaries to address habitat limitations and support population diversity.
The KCFCD has provided close to $5 million to WRIA 10 through its CWM Grant Program since 2012. While the majority of WRIA 10 is outside of King County (and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the KCFCD), the CWM grant funding provided by the KCFCD has been used for projects within the King County portion of WRIA 10.
Leadership Perspectives
“WRIA 10 is a critical watershed for both people and fish,” said Supervisor Pete von Reichbauer (District 7). “The Flood Control District’s investments through the CWM Grant Program not only improve salmon habitats but also help reduce flood risks to downstream communities. This comprehensive approach is vital for fostering resilient and thriving communities.”
King County Flood Control District Chair Reagan Dunn, whose District 9 boundaries overlaps WRIA 10, emphasized the power of partnerships. “We have made incredible strides in WRIA 10 because of the collaboration between tribes, counties, cities, and nonprofits. The Flood Control District’s CWM Grant Program lets us leverage these relationships to achieve outcomes far greater than we could achieve alone.”
Project Successes in WRIA 10
The CWM Grant Program has funded numerous projects in WRIA 10 that have improved salmon habitat, enhanced flood resilience, and contributed to long-term watershed health. These investments highlight the commitment of the KCFCD and its partners to restoring the Puyallup‑White watershed:
White River Juvenile Salmon Rotary Screw Trap Project
Since 2016, the Puyallup Tribe Fisheries Department has used CWM funding to continuously monitor juvenile salmon outmigration on the White River with a rotary screw trap near Sumner. The trap operates around the clock during the spring migration season and is checked twice daily to track abundance, timing, growth, and survival of ESA‑listed salmon populations.
This data is invaluable to the White River Spring Chinook Recovery Plan. Chinook abundance has varied but juvenile pink salmon abundance has increased dramatically since the project began, with over 30 million outmigrants estimated in 2024, an indicator of strong spawning success. The project also tags select fish with PIT tags to track movements across the watershed, yielding insights into habitat use.
Boise Creek Restoration at the Enumclaw Golf Course
This multi-year restoration project brought Boise Creek back to a more natural channel alignment, eliminating a 900‑foot culvert barrier on Chappel Springs and reducing impacts from golf course activities. Boise Creek supports one of the few remaining spring Chinook populations in South Puget Sound, making this project especially important.
CWM funding from 2020 ($210,000), 2021 ($333,849), and 2022 ($208,000) advanced the project through design, permitting, and construction, which was completed in fall 2024. The restoration improved in‑stream habitat and riparian conditions, boosting salmon spawning success and floodplain function.
Greenwater River Restoration
Over the past decade, the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, in collaboration with the Muckleshoot and Puyallup Tribes and federal partners, has used CWM funds to install engineered log jams, remove old roads, and reconnect floodplain habitat along the Greenwater River. These efforts have restored watershed processes, increased habitat complexity, and improved connectivity for salmon species such as White River Spring Chinook, coho, steelhead, coastal cutthroat, and bull trout.
Restoration at river mile 6.8 was completed in 2013, and further work at river miles 3.8 to 4.8 has been designed with support from 2018 CWM funding. A new phase scheduled for construction in 2026 will expand road removals and restoration to river mile 5.0, improving floodplain resilience and downstream flood protection.
Boise Creek
CWM funds have helped secure conservation easements and design and build multiple restoration projects along Boise Creek. These efforts create complex habitat, enhance rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids, and improve floodplain connectivity. Project examples include:
- Middle Boise Creek Projects (VanWieringen and Bickford reaches) – CWM funding has supported multiple phases of restoration and conservation along Middle Boise Creek, including acquiring conservation easements, designing new channels, placing large woody debris, and improving riparian buffers. These projects enhanced rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook, steelhead, and bull trout while improving groundwater connections and floodplain function. The expanded channel/floodplain habitat provides shaded areas and organic matter inputs critical for fish growth and survival. Work in the VanWieringen reach, for example, was designed to restore juvenile rearing habitat and provided immediate ecological benefits upon completion.
- Boise Creek Conservation Easements – CWM grants have also funded conservation easements along Boise Creek that pave the way for future capital restoration projects. By protecting these parcels, future habitat restoration will be able to expand floodplain connectivity and provide long-term benefits for salmon and downstream communities.
Each of the multiple projects within Boise Creek provides additional co-benefits beyond salmon recovery, including floodwater storage, reduced water temperatures, improved water quality, and sediment management. By reconnecting rivers and streams to their historic floodplains, these projects make WRIA 10 more resilient to climate change while supporting endangered fish populations.
Building on a Strong Legacy
This blog marks the fourth and final installment in our series celebrating the 25th anniversary of the WRIAs and the KCFCD’s CWM Grant Program. Previous blogs focused on WRIA 7 (Snoqualmie/ South Fork Skykomish), WRIA 8 (Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish), and WRIA 9 (Green/Duwamish). You can also learn more about the WRIA projects funded by the 2025 CWM Grant Program. These blogs offer a deeper look at how the KCFCD is investing in salmon recovery, flood risk reduction, and ecosystem restoration throughout the region.
Together, these stories reflect the KCFCD’s long-standing commitment to watershed-based planning and salmon recovery across King County. From habitat restoration to flood resilience, the CWM-funded projects demonstrate the power of collaboration to restore ecosystems, protect communities, and build a sustainable future.