By Steven Schauer, Deputy Executive Director

In December 2025, King County experienced a historic and prolonged flood event that affected communities across the region. The flood risk reduction investments made by the King County Flood Control District (KCFCD) since its creation proved to be vital during this momentous flood event. Fortunately, there was no loss of life in King County because of this flooding. There were, however, pockets of significant flood damage resulting from the Flood Phase 4 flows that occurred in various rivers throughout the county. This is an indication that there is more flood risk reduction work to be implemented in King County.

In the aftermath of events like these, questions often arise: Who is responsible for flood protection? How are flood risk reduction decisions made? And what role does the King County Flood Control District play?

To help answer those questions, we are sharing this overview of why the KCFCD was created, what it is responsible for, and how it works to help reduce flood risks across King County.

The Origins of the King County Flood Control District

It is important to clarify at the beginning of this overview that the KCFCD is a separate government entity, formally known as a countywide special purpose district. While the KCFCD works closely with King County and other local jurisdictions, it is legally distinct and has its own responsibilities, authority, and funding structure.

The KCFCD was created in 2007 following a series of severe flood events in the early- and mid-2000s that exposed serious vulnerabilities in the county’s flood mitigation system. Prolonged rainfall and major flooding caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure, and transportation corridors, and revealed that many of King County’s flood mitigation facilities were aging, inadequate, or in poor condition.

At the time, flood risk reduction responsibilities were spread across multiple smaller flood control zone districts that had been established decades earlier. This fragmented structure made it difficult to address countywide flood risks in a coordinated, efficient, and equitable way. Recognizing these challenges, the King County Council adopted Ordinance 15728, which dissolved the existing flood control zone districts and created a single, countywide flood control zone district to better manage flood risks throughout King County.

The ordinance established the King County Flood Control Zone District as a countywide special purpose district, authorized under state law, with responsibility for flood risk reduction needs across the entire county.

Why a Countywide Special District Matters

Flooding does not stop at city limits or county boundaries. Rivers flow through multiple jurisdictions, and flood risks in one area can have consequences downstream. The creation of a countywide flood control district allows for the implementation of an integrated, basin-wide approach to flood risk reduction rather than relying on isolated, piecemeal solutions.

Under state law and the founding ordinance, the members of the King County Council serve as the KCFCD’s Board of Supervisors, providing governance and oversight for policies, budgets, and programs. This structure ensures public accountability while enabling the KCFCD to focus specifically on flood risk reduction.

Core Responsibilities

Since its creation, the KCFCD has been responsible for funding and overseeing flood risk reduction capital projects and programs that help protect life, property, and critical infrastructure throughout King County. The KCFCD’s responsibilities include:

• Funding flood risk reduction capital projects that repair, replace, and improve aging flood protection facilities such as levees and revetments
• Supporting operations and maintenance for more than 500 flood protection facilities covering approximately 119 miles of riverbanks and 800 acres of flood mitigation land in King County
• Investing in multi-benefit flood risk reduction projects that also support habitat restoration, salmon recovery, recreation, and community resilience
• Reducing risks in repetitive loss areas including funding property buyouts, home elevations, public outreach, flood hazard planning, and grant preparation
• Funding technical studies and mapping such as FEMA floodplain map updates, channel migration zone mapping, hydraulic modeling, and risk assessments
• Supporting flood preparedness and emergency response including flood warning systems, public education programs, and regional flood warning center operations
• Providing grant funding for salmon recovery, localized flood reduction, stormwater improvements, and watershed management projects across the county

These investments are focused primarily on King County’s six major river systems and their tributaries, which are the Cedar, Green, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, South Fork Skykomish, and White rivers.

Working With King County and Local Partners

While the KCFCD is a separate government entity, it partners closely with King County and local jurisdictions to deliver flood risk reduction projects and services. Through interlocal agreements, King County implements many of the KCFCD’s projects and programs, while cities and other local partners carry out projects tailored to local flood risks and community needs.

This collaborative model allows the KCFCD to combine countywide coordination with local expertise and implementation, ensuring that flood risk reduction investments are effective, efficient, and responsive to community priorities.

It is important to note that the KCFCD is not responsible for emergency response during a flood event. While the KCFCD actively provides funding to support emergency activities, such as the development and deployment of flood alert and flood warning systems, operation of the Flood Warning Center, flood patrols, and necessary levee and revetment repairs during flood events, the important work of first responders, field crews, engineers, and public works teams are the responsibility of King County, local jurisdictions, and state and federal partners. The KCFCD recognizes and thanks the emergency responders and crews who work tirelessly, often in dangerous conditions, to monitor infrastructure and implement emergency measures during flood events.

Advisory Committee and Joint Basin Technical Committee

In addition to its Board of Supervisors, the KCFCD relies on two key advisory bodies to inform its work:

• The King County Flood Control District Advisory Committee, which is comprised of local elected officials and provides policy guidance and recommendations on flood risk reduction priorities, programs, and funding.
• The Joint Basin Technical Committee, which brings together technical experts from the county and local jurisdictions to review, evaluate, and advise on flood risk reduction projects across river basins.

Together, these committees help ensure that the decisions made by the KCFCD’s Board of Supervisors are informed by both local perspectives and technical expertise, and that flood risk reduction investments are coordinated across watersheds. More information about these committees and their roles can be found on the KCFCD’s Advisory Committee web page.

Our Ongoing Commitment

The work of the KCFCD is guided by a clear Vision and Mission:

Vision:
Building a future to withstand flood risks where thriving King County communities and healthy ecosystems coexist in harmony with area rivers.

Mission:
Implementing flood risk reduction policies and projects to protect life and property while advancing various benefits including equity and social justice, sustainable livelihoods, habitat protection, salmon recovery, recreation, and resilient communities.

The KCFCD exists to provide flood risk reduction capital projects and programs to the residents of King County. Our work is largely done in collaboration with King County and local jurisdictions before and after flooding events when the construction and maintenance of levees and revetments can often go unnoticed. The importance of effective flood risk reduction is typically most visible during a flood event, like the recent historic flooding experienced throughout King County.

While the KCFCD has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in flood risk reduction projects and programs since 2007, it is important to be clear and transparent: no government can completely eliminate flooding. Engineering solutions such as dams and levees play a critical role in reducing risk, but they have limitations and can fail under extreme conditions. This is because flooding is driven by immense natural forces, including intense rainfall, snowmelt, and river dynamics that cannot be fully controlled. Additionally, climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, while historic and ongoing development in floodplains has placed more people and infrastructure in harm’s way. Recognizing the changes in flood risk, severity, and consequence associated with climate change, the KCFCFD partnered with the University of Washington on a forward-thinking climate change study, which is expected to be finalized and released later in the year.

For these reasons, flood risk management must balance public safety, equity and social justice, Tribal Treaty Rights, environmental health, economic realities, and long-term sustainability. Rather than attempting the impossible task of eliminating flooding altogether, the KCFCD focuses on mitigation and adaptation by investing in projects and programs that reduce flood risks, improve resilience, restore natural floodplain functions, guide safer land use, and help communities prepare for future flood events.

At the same time, individual flood preparedness is essential. During major flood events, emergency services can be stretched thin, and floodwaters can become extremely dangerous, moving quickly, carrying debris and contaminants, damaging structures, and creating electrical and health hazards. Personal actions such as making an emergency plan, knowing evacuation routes, protecting valuables, elevating utilities, and staying informed can significantly reduce risks to life and property. The KCFCD encourages all residents to take advantage of the tools and guidance available on our Be Flood Ready page, which provides practical information to help individuals and families prepare before flooding occurs as well as providing helpful information about what to do during and after a flood event.

The KCFCD remains steadfast in its commitment to continue implementing flood risk reduction projects and programs across the county, working with communities, partner agencies, and residents to help reduce risk, improve resilience, and ensure that King County is better prepared for future flood events.