Kohl-Welles: District 4 to Benefit from WaterWorks Funding

November 2, 2021

Summary

The King County Council on Tuesday approved approximately $5 million in grants to improve water quality across King County. More than $400,000 of the $2.6 million in direct King County Council allocations went to projects that will take place at least partly in King County Council District 4.

Story

The King County Council on Tuesday approved approximately $5 million in grants to improve water quality across King County. More than $400,000 of the $2.6 million in direct King County Council allocations went to projects that will take place at least partly in King County Council District 4.
 
“I’m very pleased to have been able to secure funding for projects that work to improve water quality now and also for cutting-edge research that will impact water quality work well into the future,” said Councilmember Kohl-Welles. “These community-led, collaborative projects will support our native plants and marine wildlife, including salmon, local watersheds, and green stormwater infrastructure. These important investments will support healthy and vibrant waterways for years to come.”

The Council-based grants, administered through the WaterWorks Grant Program, will provide funding to 44 projects within the King County regional wastewater system.

Awarded every two years, the grants go to a variety of organizations, including non-profits, schools, cities, counties, tribes and special purpose districts. Funds often bridge the gaps needed to bring partially funded projects to completion.

Four grants were awarded to projects and organizations working for water quality improvements to benefit District 4:

Forterra, $80,000 for “Thornton Creek Noxious Weeds Knockout Project”

Forterra will work in partnership with the cities of Seattle and Shoreline, King County Noxious Weed Control Program, Thornton Creek Alliance, and Earth Corps to continue coordinating project partners, expand community outreach, and treat noxious weeds, particularly knotweed, a major threat to water-quality in the Thornton Creek watershed. Knotweed and other noxious weeds colonize riverbanks and prevent the establishment of native vegetation which disrupts natural hydrologic functions which support cold, clean water.

Long Live the Kings, $40,000 for “A Healthy Ship Canal to Save Salmon”

Phase Two of “A Healthy Ship Canal to Save Salmon” builds on current efforts to implement solutions to address the impacts of high temperature and low dissolved oxygen on salmon in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The project will use vetted recommendations and the roundtable of partners established in the initial phase of the project to develop a funding strategy, conduct education and outreach activities, implement potential near-term alternatives, and complete an RFQ process for a full feasibility assessment of longer-term preferred alternatives.

Seattle 2030 District, $161,000 for “United for Water Quality at South Lake Union”

Seattle 2030 District is partnering with United Indians of All Tribes to install a camas prairie green roof at their new Canoe Carving House in South Lake Union as a demonstration project for green stormwater infrastructure, to provide stormwater treatment, and to serve as a demonstration project throughout the region. Seattle 2030 District will provide educational outreach to communities and neighboring businesses and conduct water quality tests to monitor impact.

University of Washington Green Futures Lab, $161,000 for “Sweetgrass Marine Living Shoreline Demonstration Research Prototypes”

Building on their floating wetland research in both the Duwamish and Lake Washington systems, the Green Futures Lab team will test floating wetland prototypes that can be deployed and monitored along Seattle’s maritime shorelines to provide essential habitat for juvenile salmon and other aquatic species. They will design, locate, monitor, and draw conclusions on the viability and benefits of adding floating wetlands to docks and other urbanized coastal marine conditions that occur along Seattle’s Salish Sea shorelines.