Third 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 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, with today’s third installment focused on the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed (WRIA 9).
Understanding WRIA 9
WRIA 9 spans a diverse landscape from the forests of the Cascade mountains to the marine waters of Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. The watershed includes the Green/Duwamish River and its tributaries, which drain into Puget Sound. It also includes smaller watersheds that flow directly into Puget Sound. Communities within WRIA 9 includes portions of Algona, Auburn, Black Diamond, Burien, Covington, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Kent, Maple Valley, Normandy Park, Renton, Sea Tac, Seattle, Tukwila, as well as Vashon/Maury Island.
This urbanized watershed is home to more than 700,000 people and has been heavily modified from its natural state, particularly along the lower Green/Duwamish River. Despite these challenges, WRIA 9 still boasts one of the larger runs of Chinook salmon in Puget Sound and presents significant restoration opportunities, including, but not limited to, the upper Green River, shoreline stretches of Vashon Island, and riparian corridors where native vegetation is being restored to improve salmon survival and ecosystem resilience.
Voices of Support from the Flood Control District Board
Members of the KCFCD’s Board of Supervisors represent communities throughout WRIA 9 and strongly support the KCFCD’s investments in this essential watershed by providing over $36 million to WRIA 9 since 2012:
Supervisor Girmay Zahilay (District 2):
“The CWM grant program exemplifies a regional approach to environmental justice and salmon recovery. By equitably distributing resources across WRIA 9, we are helping historically underserved areas become healthier, more resilient communities.”
Supervisor Jorge Barón (District 4):
“The Flood Control District’s collaboration with WRIA 9 through the Cooperative Watershed Management grant program allows us to invest in projects that restore fish habitat and build stronger communities. It’s a model for how we can meet ecological needs while improving public health and safety throughout the county.”
Supervisor De’Sean Quinn (District 5):
“The Green and Duwamish rivers are culturally, economically, and ecologically significant. With CWM grant funding, we’re advancing salmon habitat restoration and reconnecting communities to these vital waterways.”
Supervisor Pete von Reichbauer (District 7)
“WRIA 9 shows how powerful partnerships can be. By collaborating with tribes, municipalities, state agencies, and nonprofits through the CWM grant program, we can achieve our goals for salmon recovery and watershed health.”
Supervisor Teresa Mosqueda (District 8):
“From the Duwamish River to Vashon Island, WRIA 9 restoration projects are addressing environmental injustice and creating healthier places for people and wildlife. The Flood Control District’s CWM grants help fund this vital work where it’s needed most.”
King County Flood Control District Chair Reagan Dunn (District 9):
“The Flood Control District has taken a critical leadership role in providing regional funding for WRIA 9 and beyond. Through the CWM grant program, we’re investing in watersheds across King County to protect salmon, reduce flooding, and improve quality of life.”
WRIA 9 Project Successes
The KCFCD’s CWM grant funding has helped bring many impactful projects to life across WRIA 9. Here are just a few examples:
Downey Side Channel (City of Kent)
The Downey Farmstead Side Channel Project transformed a 22-acre former tree nursery into vital habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon. Located between SR 516 and the Green River, this multi-benefit project includes three carefully engineered side channels at different elevations, ensuring year-round refuge for young salmon during both dry seasons and storm events. More than 40,000 native plants were planted to restore riparian health and regulate water temperature, while engineered log jams and rearing zones were created to improve habitat complexity. The restored floodplain reduces peak flood elevations and enhances community resilience to climate change. The project stands as a model for integrating salmon recovery with floodplain reconnection and urban sustainability.
Čakwab (Lones Levee) Floodplain Restoration (near Auburn)
This levee removal and floodplain restoration project reconnected 30 acres of wetland along the middle Green River. Crews removed 25,000 cubic yards of levee material and constructed three new side channels, dramatically improving habitat conditions. The restored site now provides shaded refuge for juvenile Chinook salmon, while sightings of otters and beavers confirm ecological recovery. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe played a vital leadership role, contributing cultural insight and helping name the site čakwab, meaning “something carried to the water” in the traditional Lushootseed language. The project is a compelling example of salmon recovery work that honors Indigenous knowledge and restores vital ecosystems.
Camp Kilworth Acquisition (Federal Way)
Once threatened by development, Camp Kilworth is now permanently protected and thriving as a youth-centered environmental education preserve. The nearly 30-acre site features second-growth forest and one of the last intact nearshore salmon habitats in South King County.
Supported by CWM grant funding, the project preserved rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook and created a living laboratory where students participate in environmental education and cultural learning. In partnership with Forterra, YMCA, and the Puyallup Tribe, the site now hosts South King County’s first YMCA outdoor camp and includes Indigenous-led programming on salmon conservation, Puget Sound ecology, and traditional ecological knowledge.
Duwamish Gardens (Tukwila)
This 2.34-acre restoration site along the lower Duwamish River features a mosaic of mudflats, emergent marsh, riparian forest, and uplands. With 0.37 acres of mudflat and 0.47 acres of marsh, the park provides essential off-channel habitat for juvenile Chinook and chum salmon. The site also includes hand-carry boat access, interpretive signage, a river overlook, and a culturally inspired art installation called The Wind. Duwamish Gardens is part of a string of 5 restored habitats between river mile 6 and 7 which play a critical role in the survival of young salmon transitioning to saltwater.
ReGreen the Green Program
Launched in 2016, this targeted riparian revegetation initiative focuses on planting native trees along the Green River and its tributaries to increase shade, stabilize riverbanks, and improve water quality. By the end of 2025, the program aims to restore 2,384 acres of riparian habitat. Over $3 million has been invested through CWM grants between 2019 and 2025. Guided by the 2016 Re-Green the Green Riparian Revegetation Strategy, the program prioritizes high solar-exposure sites and degraded corridors. Native vegetation reduces stream temperatures, which is crucial for salmon survival, and helps mitigate erosion and filter stormwater runoff.
Environmental Heroes and Salmon Heroes (Environmental Science Center)
These award-winning school-based programs engage more than 3,000 K–8 students each year in immersive watershed and salmon recovery education. Through hands-on activities at local streams and beaches, students learn how human actions affect water quality and salmon survival. Over 4,000 students annually pledge to take a specific stewardship action with their families. Some classrooms complete on-campus environmental projects like planting native species, storm drain stenciling, or trash cleanups. The program also reaches families through take-home materials and offers community events that inspire shared responsibility for the Green/Duwamish watershed.
Lower Green River PIT Tagging Study
This cutting-edge research initiative uses mobile Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tracking technology to monitor the behavior and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon in the lower Green River. Unlike traditional electrofishing, mobile PIT tracking provides real-time, location-specific data on where young salmon rear, how long they stay, and what habitats are most supportive. The project is identifying rearing “hotspots,” refining restoration strategies, and offering insights into juvenile salmon diets and mortality rates. This effort represents a leap forward in our understanding of salmon behavior and will guide future habitat investments across WRIA 9.
Looking Ahead
As we mark 25 years of WRIA-based watershed planning, we celebrate WRIA 9 for its ambitious projects, deep partnerships, and enduring commitment to salmon recovery and community resilience. The King County Flood Control District is proud to support this essential work.
Stay tuned for the final installment in our four-part series, which will spotlight the KCFCD’s efforts to protect people, property, and the environment in South King County with support provided to WRIA 10, the Puyallup-White River Watershed Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) & Puyallup and Chambers Salmon Recovery.