By Steven Schauer, Deputy Executive Director
The King County Flood Control District (KCFCD) is proud to announce the opening of the 2025 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program. With over $13.8 million available in funding this year, the program offers a significant opportunity for organizations and communities to implement projects that reduce the impact of flooding across King County.
A Legacy of Service and Commitment
Renamed in 2024 to honor the late Steve Bleifuhs, a dedicated public servant with nearly three decades of service to King County, the grant program commemorates his unwavering commitment to flood hazard management. Steve’s leadership and innovative approach helped shape floodplain management strategies and were instrumental in the creation of the King County Flood Control District. This program continues his legacy by supporting initiatives that reduce flood risks and promote environmental resilience.
Funding Opportunities for Diverse Projects
The program welcomes applications for a wide range of projects, including those focused on urban streams, coastal erosion, coastal flooding, and culvert replacement to enhance fish passage.
Examples of eligible projects include:
- Retrofitting stormwater facilities
- Floodproofing structures
- Restoring and protecting streambanks
- Replacing undersized culverts to improve fish passage
With no cap on the individual award amount, previous grants have ranged from $10,000 to $1.5 million. Last year alone, the KCFCD awarded nearly $14 million in funding to 31 impactful projects.
“The Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program is a vital tool that allows the Flood Control District to fund and implement projects that reduce flood risks and enhance community resilience across King County,” said King County Flood Control District Chair Reagan Dunn. “By supporting local initiatives, we’re ensuring that all areas of our county, from urban neighborhoods to rural communities, have the resources needed to address flood challenges.”
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants include homeowner associations, non-profit organizations, schools, special purpose districts, tribes, cities, towns, and agencies within King County. Whether you’re managing a large infrastructure project or implementing a local flood mitigation initiative, the grant program offers the financial support you need to make a difference.
Key Dates and Resources
- Application Deadline: May 23, 2025
- Online Informational Meeting: April 16, 2025
To learn more about the grant program, eligibility criteria, and application process, visit our Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grants webpage.
Examples of Projects Funded in the 2024 Flood Reduction Grants Cycle
District 1
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group received $470,451 for the Lake City Floodplain Park Final Design Project. The project will work with Seattle and local community to advance a flood storage capacity project on the North Branch of Thornton Creek from preliminary to final design. In addition to increasing flood storage capacity, this multi-benefit project will improve in-stream and riparian habitat, benefit water quality, and create an accessible public green space for a community within a heavily urbanized, diverse, and underserved area. The location of the project site provides a unique opportunity for increased flood storage capacity and other community benefits within the almost exclusively privately-owned North Branch of Thornton Creek.
District 2
Seattle Parks & Recreation received $1.25 million for the Arboretum Creek Headwaters – Construction Phase 1 Project. The Arboretum Creek Headwaters Project is a comprehensive flood control and urban creek restoration project that will eliminate flooding and filter stormwater as it flows into Arboretum Creek. This project was awarded $200,000 last year which will be used to complete design documentation. This application is for capital dollars for construction.
District 3
The Snoqualmie Valley Watershed Improvement District received $500,000 for the SVWID Drainage Improvement Program 2025-2027. The project provides support for agricultural flood reduction projects in the SVWID’s Tuck, Ames, and Cherry Creek Drainage Planning Areas. The proposed projects include: 1) Final designs for replacement of 5 failing private farm access road crossings, including culverts, bridges, and flood protection infrastructure accessing 450-acres of agriculturally zoned land in the Tuck Creek Drainage Planning Area; 2) final designs for conversion of 1-acre of private agricultural land to a floodplain deposition corridor designed to reduce public flood risks (King County roads) and drainage maintenance in the Ames Creek Drainage Planning Area by increasing the maintenance interval to 50 years; and 3) alternatives analysis to identify feasible solutions for mitigation of depositional flood impacts on agricultural properties at NE Cherry Valley Rd in the Cherry Creek Drainage Planning Area.
District 4
Seattle Public Utilities received $1 million for the Crown Hill Drainage Improvements Project. The project will reduce recurrent street flooding in a residential area surrounding 17th Avenue NW and NW 87th Street. SPU will build a green and gray infrastructure project to improve drainage capacity in the Crown Hill urban village, which the City rezoned as a priority area to absorb growth and density. By upsizing pipes and promoting shallow and deep infiltration, the project will significantly reduce street flooding and eliminate property flooding. Additionally, the project will enhance the mobility functions of a designated neighborhood greenway (17th Avenue NW), improving safety for students who use the route to access Whitman Middle School. The project will also potentially reduce sewer backup risks to the south on 17th Avenue NW. By making these improvements, SPU will solve a persistent problem for all who live nearby or rely on the neighborhood greenway.
District 5
The City of Tukwila received $479,631 for the Gilliam Creek Inlet Erosion and Slope Stabilization Project. The project will stabilize and protect eroded Gilliam Creek streambanks upstream of the 66th Ave S culvert inlet. The work will include survey, design, permitting, and construction. Permitting will require a Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) Permit from WDFW and a 404/401 Permit from the USACE for in-water work. It will also include a Biological Evaluation, Flood Plain Permit, Shoreline Permit, SEPA, and Critical Area Report. The work is expected to require mitigation for fill below the Ordinary High Water (OHW) and permanent stream buffer impacts, as well as temporary impact restoration for construction access.
District 6
The City of Bellevue received $1.1 million for the Upper Kelsey Creek Phase 2 – Lake Hills Blvd. Culvert Replacement Project. Kelsey Creek currently crosses under Lake Hills Blvd via three aging culverts. These culverts are undersized, partially submerged, fish passage barriers, and continue to settle in the underlying peat soils. Phase 2 project will involve replacing the culverts with a new fish passable culvert with sufficient capacity for the 100-year storm event and creek habitat improvements. Installing a fish passable culvert will open about 1,600 feet of creek for fish habitat and reduce the upstream Base Flood Elevation (BFE) by up to 2.9 feet while not increasing the downstream BFE, based on results using the approved FEMA model.
District 7
King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Water & Land Resources Division received $850,000 for the NE Auburn Creek Restoration Final Design Project. The project will replace a poorly functioning flapgate while rehabilitating and restoring degraded floodplain habitat along NE Auburn Creek near Kent. Increase the size, accessibility, and quality of crucial off-channel rearing habitat for Chinook salmon in the Lower Green River, while also providing flood reduction benefits. The current flapgate frequently fails to provide flood protection because it is outdated and poorly functioning. The flapgate is a fish passage barrier. Replacing the existing flapgate with a modern fish-friendly flapgate will reduce flooding frequency and provide fish access to crucial tributary and wetland rearing habitat.
District 8
ECOSS received $548,000 for the Green-Duwamish Stormwater Infrastructure Solutions Project. The project will finance the next phases of ECOSS greening projects in the South Seattle area. ECOSS intends to address the environmental inequities that South Seattle experiences by providing community-based design to reimagine the landscape. The proposal aims to extend our pilot greening efforts and continue to build momentum as ECOSS engages community members to normalize green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in a collective understanding of its benefits.
District 9
The City of Newcastle received $1.5 million for the Newcastle Railroad Embankment Phase 2 Construction Project. Newport Hills Creek flows through Type 2 rise and a 24” clay vitrified pipe at the bottom of a railroad embankment, which is classified as a dam (55 feet tall and 150 feet long). The embankment has unknown construction records and has experienced sinkholes: if the ponded impoundment were to breach, the pond would release 120 acre-feet of water. The project proposes to remove the railroad embankment in its entirety to reduce flood hazard.
Join Us in Making a Difference
By applying for the Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program, you can contribute to creating safer, more resilient communities. Honor Steve’s legacy by taking action to reduce flood risks and protect our environment. Together, we can build a stronger future for King County.