APPLICATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 6, 2023
What is the Subregional Opportunity Fund?
The Subregional Opportunity Fund (“Opportunity Fund”) is set aside every year by the King County Flood Control District for use by the jurisdictions within King County to design or implement projects primarily related to flood and stormwater control. Water Quality and habitat-related projects are eligible as long as the main focus is on flooding or stormwater.
The Opportunity Fund is 10.23% of the King County Flood Control District’s annual levy proceeds. For 2024, the Opportunity Fund is estimated to be over $6 million pending the Flood Control District’s budget approval in the fall of 2023. Funds are allocated to each of the 40 King County jurisdictions based on assessed property values, including annexations. See the list of estimated allocations at the bottom of this webpage. Note that these are estimates; the amounts may change based on the final budget that will be adopted by the Flood Control District in November 2023.
Instructions for City/Town Staff
Each city or town has one of three options every fall:
- Propose a new project that will use the Opportunity Fund,
- Add dollars to a project that was approved in a previous year, or
- Defer use of that year’s funds to an unspecified future date.
To propose a new project or add dollars to a previously-approved project, follow the instructions below for the new application portal. To defer use of the funds to the future, send an email to Kim Harper at Kim.harper@nullkingcounty.gov and indicate your city is deferring its funding allocation for a future year.
NOTE: If you are applying to use funds, note that a city can use the new 2024 allocation and/or any dollars that have been accrued from past years. If you are not clear on how much your city has accrued, contact Kim Harper for details.
NEW – Online Application Portal
To complete an application, access the online application portal. If you have not applied to another Flood Control District grant (either a CWM or Flood Reduction grant) in 2023 via this portal, then click on “Create New Account” and follow the instructions given. If you did already apply for a FCD grant this year, then use the password you created for that application. Once you are in the system, you will see an “Apply” button at the top of the page. That will lead you to the application for the 2024 Subregional Opportunity Fund. Note that the application is very similar to past years. You can preview the application questions here.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm on October 6, 2023.
For more information or help with the application process, please contact Kim Harper at Kim.harper@nullkingcounty.gov or 206-477-6079.
Criteria for eligible projects and activities
Consistent with the authority granted in state statute, chapter 86.15 RCW, Flood Control District Resolution 2008-10.2 established the criteria for eligible projects and activities under the Subregional Opportunity Fund.
• Funds can be spent for flood control, stormwater control and cooperative watershed management projects.
• Funds spent on watershed management projects consisting of salmon habitat protection projects must be linked to the construction of a flood or stormwater project.
• The authority to spend Flood District funds for flood control and stormwater control is provided in Chapters 86.15.110 RCW. Chapter 86.15.035 RCW adds the watershed management category, which is linked to Chapter 39.34.190 RCW.
An explanation of each of the eligible categories follows:
1. Flood control improvements may be extended, enlarged, acquired, or constructed, provided a comprehensive plan of development for flood control has been developed and the improvement contributes to the objectives of that plan and the plan has been submitted to and approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology. See Chapter 86.15.110 (1) and (2) RCW.
2. Stormwater control improvements may be extended, enlarged, acquired or constructed, provided a comprehensive plan for stormwater control has been prepared for the area and the improvement is consistent with the stormwater plan. See Chapter 86.15.110 (1) and (2) RCW.
3. Watershed management projects identified in watershed management partnerships or other intergovernmental agreements for the purposes of water supply, water quality, and water resource and habitat protection and management. See Chapter 86.15.035 RCW*. The Board of Supervisors has directed that projects in this category that consist of salmon habitat protection projects must demonstrate a link to flooding or stormwater projects. This third category ties into Chapter 39.34.190 – .200 RCW, and under these statutory provisions, up to 10 percent of District revenues (the equivalent of the amount of the Opportunity Fund) may be used for the implementation of watershed management plans, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Watershed plans developed under chapter 90.82 RCW;
- Salmon recovery plans developed under chapter 77.85 RCW;
- Watershed management elements of comprehensive land use plans developed under the Growth Management Act, chapter 36.70A RCW;
- Watershed management elements of shoreline master programs developed under the Shoreline Management Act, chapter 90.58 RCW;
- Nonpoint pollution action plans developed under the Puget Sound water quality management planning authorities of chapter 90.71 RCW and chapter 400-12 WAC;
- Other comprehensive management plans addressing watershed health at a WRIA level or sub-WRIA basin level;
- Coordinated water system plans under chapter 70.116 RCW* and similar regional plans for water supply; and
- Any combination of the foregoing plans in an integrated watershed management plan.
** In categories (1) and (2) above, construction improvements require the development of preliminary engineering studies and plans, and such studies and plans must be on file with the King County River and Floodplain Management Section, which functions as the service provider to the District. For all projects, cost estimates and underlying data must be provided, and the benefit provided by the improvement must be described. See Chapter 86.15.110 (3), (4) and (5)* RCW.
Process Following Application Deadline
• Applications will be reviewed for completeness and consistency with the eligibility criteria. The scope of work must describe the specific deliverable products and how they will be produced.
• Proposed projects will be combined into a single list, which will become part of the proposed annual work program and budget for the Board of Supervisors to consider.
•The submittal of an acceptable application by a jurisdiction, and approval of that application by the Board of Supervisors through their approval of the annual work program and budget, will create and constitute an approved amendment to the interlocal agreement each jurisdiction has with the Flood Control District.
• The interlocal agreement provides that the Flood Control District will grant funds for the project in consideration of each jurisdiction’s agreement to construct the project and take over operation, ownership, maintenance, and repair obligations for the project.
• The interlocal agreement also stipulates that the schedule for a project must provide for the expenditure of Opportunity Funds within two years after the commencement date of the project.
Reimbursement and Progress Reports
•Once an application has been approved by the Flood Control District, funds will be issued on a reimbursement basis following a jurisdiction’s submittal of a completed reimbursement form and accompanying documentation to King County.
•Jurisdictions are required to provide the Flood Control District with semiannual progress reports updating the status of projects, as well as a final report, which shall be provided within 90 days of project completion. Reimbursement requests and progress reporting will be done via the online reporting platform (same site as the application platform).
•While not specified in the interlocal agreement, we ask that jurisdictions submit semiannual progress reports by June 30 and December 31 of each year.
Opportunity Fund Background
In authorizing the Flood Control District, the Board of Supervisors authorized a property tax levy to fund the Flood Control District’s work program. As allowed under the Flood Control District’s statutory authority in Chapter 86.15 RCW, the Board of Supervisors set aside 10.23 percent of the District’s annual levy proceeds for a Subregional Opportunity Fund.
The Board of Supervisors determined the Subregional Opportunity Fund should be implemented as follows:
• Allocation: Funds are distributed to each jurisdiction proportional to assessed valuation (AV) for an eligible project or activity with a minimum distribution of $10,000 per eligible jurisdiction.
• Eligible Activities: Opportunity Funds shall be used for any project or activity that is consistent with the statutory authorization of Chapter 86.15 RCW. This can include flood control and stormwater improvements, as well as watershed management activities such as habitat conservation, if such projects are linked to flood or stormwater activities.
Draft 2024 Allocations for the King County Flood Control District Subregional Opportunity FundBased on forecasted King County assessed values
The table below shows estimates of the allocations. These will be revised when the King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors approves the 2024 Work Plan in November 2023.
| Jurisdiction | Draft Allocation |
| Algona | $10,000 |
| Auburn | $102,288 |
| Beaux Arts | $10,000 |
| Bellevue | $682,166 |
| Black Diamond | $14,344 |
| Bothell | $68,010 |
| Burien | $71,977 |
| Carnation | $10,000 |
| Clyde Hill | $33,117 |
| Covington | $31,359 |
| Des Moines | $42,737 |
| Duvall | $17,675 |
| Enumclaw | $18,461 |
| Federal Way | $118,888 |
| Hunts Point | $13,290 |
| Issaquah | $123,591 |
| Kenmore | $57,229 |
| Kent | $213,858 |
| King County | $557,259 |
| Kirkland | $338,230 |
| Lake Forest Park | $34,796 |
| Maple Valley | $48,757 |
| Medina | $50,774 |
| Mercer Island | $157,951 |
| Milton | $10,000 |
| Newcastle | $41,780 |
| Normandy Park | $16,712 |
| North Bend | $20,158 |
| Pacific | $10,000 |
| Redmond | $251,488 |
| Renton | $194,950 |
| Sammamish | $248,600 |
| SeaTac | $38,678 |
| Seattle | $2,095,634 |
| Shoreline | $112,678 |
| Skykomish | $10,000 |
| Snoqualmie | $36,250 |
| Tukwila | $56,598 |
| Woodinville | $44,207 |
| Yarrow Point | $15,933 |
| TOTAL | $6,030,234 |