By Steven Schauer, Deputy Executive Director, and King County Staff
In recent months, the King County Flood Control District shared a three-part blog series highlighting emergency flood response projects (Cedar River, Green River, and White River) funded through a supplemental budget amendment approved by the District Board of Supervisors on February 10, 2026. Those projects focused on emergency actions taken during the historic December 2025 flood to protect people, property, and critical infrastructure as floodwaters surged across King County.
This is the first of a new three-part blog series also focused on the supplemental budget amendment approved on February 10, 2026; however, this new series highlights a different category of work: projects of immediate concern that were implemented after the worst of the flooding had passed. While emergency response projects were carried out during the flood itself, these immediate repair projects took place from late December 2025 through April 2026 to address damage caused by the flooding and restore critical flood protection facilities before additional storms could occur.
These immediate repairs were especially important because King County remained in the middle of flood season. Damaged levees, revetments, and other flood risk reduction facilities needed to be repaired quickly to maintain protection for communities, infrastructure, and the environment. The importance of these immediate repairs became clear when additional flooding occurred in March 2026, demonstrating the need to restore damaged facilities as quickly as possible.
The first blog in this series highlights immediate repair projects funded on the Cedar River and South Fork Skykomish River.
A Historic Flooding Event
Flooding has always been part of life in King County, but the 2025–2026 flood season demonstrated just how powerful and destructive our rivers can become.
Between December 8 and December 30, 2025, King County experienced a generational flood event that set new flood records across the region. On the Cedar River, a new peak flow record of 12,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) was recorded near Renton, surpassing the previous record of 10,600 cfs set in 1990. On the South Fork Skykomish River, flows reached 31,100 cfs near Skykomish, far exceeding the previous record of 20,400 cfs set in 2020.
The flood damaged nearly 170 flood protection facilities throughout King County, testing the resilience of more than 500 flood risk reduction facilities. Despite the severity of the event, there was no loss of life from flooding in King County, which is a testament to the dedication of emergency responders, local governments, residents, and decades of investment in flood risk reduction.
Supporting Immediate Recovery
Recognizing the pressing need to restore damaged flood facilities, the King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors approved nearly $7.3 million in February 2026 for immediate repair projects completed between late December 2025 and April 2026.
Of that funding, $749,574 supported three immediate repair projects on the Cedar River and one on the South Fork Skykomish River. These projects addressed damage that posed risks to public infrastructure and enabled flood facilities to remain functional during the remainder of the flood season.
Cedar River
Cedar River Trail Revetment 1 2025 Emergency Repair
This immediate repair project addressed significant erosion damage along the Cedar River Trail Revetment 1 on the left bank of the Cedar River near River Mile 6.
Floodwaters caused scour and bank erosion that threatened State Route 169, the Cedar River Trail, nearby utilities, and a regional fiber optic line. The damage created a need for immediate repairs to prevent infrastructure failure and further erosion.
King County crews removed damaged concrete debris and placed approximately 320 cubic yards of riprap (i.e., large, loose, stones used to armor riverbanks against erosion) along a 200-foot section of the revetment to stabilize the riverbank. To complete the repair, several maple and Douglas fir trees were removed and strategically placed in the river to provide habitat benefits. Disturbed areas were restored with topsoil, grass seed, and straw, and a native vegetation replanting plan will further stabilize soils and enhance habitat conditions over the long term.
This immediate project received $300,000 in supplemental funding.
Cedar River Trail Revetment 3 2025 Emergency Repair
A second Cedar River immediate repair project focused on Cedar River Trail Revetment 3, where flood-related erosion threatened State Route 169, the Cedar River Trail, and a regional fiber optic line.
The project repaired two damaged sections of revetment using approximately 435 cubic yards of large rock and riprap placed along 350 linear feet of riverbank. Additional topsoil was placed to restore disturbed areas, and nearly 20 trees were incorporated into the river as part of the repair effort.
Following construction, King County crews restored disturbed areas with topsoil, grass seed, and straw. Like the Cedar River Trail Revetment 1 project, a native vegetation replanting plan will support long-term riverbank stability, habitat enhancement, and site resilience.
This immediate project received $229,820 in supplemental funding.
Tabor-Crowall Revetment 2025 Repair
The final immediate repair project on the Cedar River was the Tabor-Crowall Revetment 2025 Repair on the right bank of the Cedar River near River Mile 2.8.
During the December flood, severe scour (i.e., the removal of sediment, soil, and rock from river banks and beds by flowing water) and riverbank erosion damaged the revetment, creating an immediate risk to nearby State Route 169 and critical utilities, including a fiber optic line. Emergency repairs were made during the flood. However, without implementing additional immediate repairs, continued erosion could have resulted in significant infrastructure damage and service disruptions.
To stabilize the site, King County hired a contractor to install geotextile fabric and place large rock within the revetment and along the riverbank. Additional quarry spalls, which are large, fractured chunks of rock, typically ranging from 2 to 8 inches in diameter, were added to reinforce the repair area.
While this immediate repair project restored stability to the revetment, maintaining the original function and design of the flood protection facility, the damaged area will be incorporated into the Tabor-Crowall-Brodell Revetments 2020 Repair Project to further the efforts here to help protect people and property.
The District provided $144,754 in supplemental funding for this project.
South Fork Skykomish River
Town of Skykomish Left Bank Levee 2025 Emergency Repair
The immediate repair project on the South Fork Skykomish River funded through the supplemental budget addressed damage to the Town of Skykomish Left Bank Levee.
Following the December flooding, several large sinkholes and smaller voids were discovered within the levee crest trail and along the riverward edge of the levee. Left unaddressed, these conditions could have compromised the integrity of the levee and created safety concerns for public access.
King County crews repaired the damaged areas by removing unstable material, filling the voids with quarry spalls and crushed base course (i.e., crushed stone or gravel), compacting the material, and restoring the trail surface to its original condition. All work occurred above the ordinary high-water mark, minimizing environmental impacts while restoring the levee’s functionality and safety.
The District provided $75,000 in supplemental funding for this project.
Investing in Resilience
The December 2025 flood demonstrated both the importance of King County’s flood risk reduction infrastructure and the need to act quickly when facilities are damaged. By funding these immediate repair projects, the King County Flood Control District enabled King County to restore critical flood risk reduction facilities before additional flooding occurred later in the flood season.
These repairs are part of a larger recovery effort that continues to strengthen the County’s resilience to future flood events while protecting communities, infrastructure, salmon habitat, and the natural environment.
Be sure to return for the next installment in this series, where we will highlight immediate repair projects funded on the Green River and explain how these investments helped restore critical flood protection facilities following the historic December 2025 flood.