WRIA 8 – Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed

Project Subcommittee Report

June 19th Fieldtrip and June 25, 2007 Meeting

Salmon Recovery Funding BoardFund (SRFB) and Puget Sound Acquisition & Restoration Fund (PSAR) - 2007 Grant Cycle

Project Subcommittee Members: Councilmember Dan Clawson (City of Renton); Hans Berge (KingCounty, WRIA 8 Technical Committee); Kirk Lakey (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife); Julie Hall (Seattle Public Utilities); Kirk Prindle (City of Issaquah); Brian Ward (City of Bellevue).

Funds and Recommended Allocation: In 2007 two grant funds are available to watersheds within the Puget Sound Region: 1) Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) with a WRIA 8 Puget Sound allocation of $610,353; and 2) Puget Sound Acquisition & Restoration (PSAR) with a WRIA 8 Puget Sound allocation of $2,015,097, for a total amount of $2,625,450. WRIA 8’s allocation is 5.4 percent of the Puget Sound Region’s allocation. The Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council decides the allocation based on criteria that consider factors to have “no population left behind” (40%) and “emphasize delisting” (55%). Sevenpre-applications were received for consideration for both funds. Their total request is $4,483,750 with matching funds of $9,666,250 (see Table 1 for summary). The request exceeded the funds by $1,858,300.

Project Eligibility and Match Requirement: Projects for SRFB and PSAR grant funds must meet the policies provided in SRFB’s Manual 18 (note: Manual 18 was amended to add PSAR policies on July 13, 2007). For WRIA 8 the project must be within WRIA 8, and on the 3-Year Work Plan that is prepared for Shared Strategy and the Puget Sound Region each spring. Projects on the 3-Year Work Plan are a sub-set of the WRIA8 Plan’s 10-Year Start List of Actions (Volume I, Chapter 9) have been evaluated for benefits to Chinook, feasibility, and are the highest priority projects for Chinook recovery. The 3-Year Work Plan is reviewed by NOAA’s Technical Recovery Team (TRT) for the Puget Sound Region. Priority is given to Tier I projects in the priority areas of Cedar, Migratory, naturally spawning Sammamish population areas, and other Sammamish population areas. A match of fifteen percent is required for SRFB and PSAR projects, with the exception of feasibility and design projects under PSAR funds.

Project Subcommittee Process:Prior to theirfieldtrip and meeting the Project Subcommittee received the following: 1) copies of the SRFB/ PSAR pre-applications, 2) criteria/question forms, 3) 3-Year Work Program with 2007 revision chart, and 4) website link to SRFB site for Manual 18. On June 17th,the Project Subcommittee members, SRFB Project Manager Mike Ramsey, SRFB Review Panel Members Paul Schlenger and Tom Slocum, and WRIA 8 staffvisited seven site specific projects within WRIA 8. Project sponsors gave a brief presentation of their project on-site and responded to questions from the Subcommittee. Handouts, photos, or maps were allowed to be distributed to supplement the SRFB/PSARpre-applications.

On June 25th, the Project Subcommittee reviewed the policies, discussed the conflict of interest statement, and entered their personal scoring of the applications into a chart for discussion. Projects were first discussed to understand differences in scores between members. This ferrets out issues that are thoroughly discussed before proceeding with allocation recommendations. Their final ranking and recommendations for allocations are provided in Table 2.

Highlights of Discussion: For the top two projects the individual project scoring was clear that Rainbow Bend Acquisition (# 1) and Cottage Lake CreekConservation (# 2) were preferred (same ranking in earlier King Conservation District grant meeting). The Rainbow Bend Acquisition property, located in the center of Belmondo Reach, provides an outstanding opportunity to reconnect and restore the floodplain. Timing is critical to obtain this site while the landowner is interested. This project received all of the 2006 SRFB funds for WRIA 8 but some of the City of Seattle matching funds were removed from the project because of use restrictions for the relocation of the trailer homes. KingCounty, who has been actively coordinating with the City of Seattle on this site and within the Belmondo reach, will acquire the trailer park area of the site with these 2007 grant funds. The Project Subcommittee recommended providing all the fundsneeded for acquisition of this key 20 acre property.

The second highest ranked project was Cottage Lake Creek Conservation Project, an acquisition project to protect 0.55 river miles of key Chinook spawning habitat for the naturally spawning Sammamish population in the Bear Creek system. This project ranked high because of the quality and significance of the habitat. It is the highest priority acquisition in the Cottage Lake Creek basin and the single landowner has expressed interest in selling the nine parcels.

Cottage Lake Creek Conservation Project was recommended to receive less than their request of KCD funds due to the large shortfall within that fund. The Project Subcommittee would like to see this project fully funded in order to move quickly on completion of the acquisitions and recommends an increase to the request amounts within the SRFB and PSAR funds.

The third ranked project, Issaquah Hatchery Water Intake Dam Removal Project, proposes to improve upstream fish passage and correct sediment maintenance problems at the hatchery intake dam. Restoring fish passage will open up 10 or more miles of high quality spawning and rearing habitat. The Project Subcommittee felt strongly that this project was valuable but also needed significant questions answered. They proposed funding only the initial feasibility study and preliminary design. The project proposal is undecided at this point whether the dam will be rebuilt or removed and the feasibility study needs to address this question first. The Subcommittee would also like the feasibility study to expand its scope to evaluate the benefits to natural-origin salmon rather than hatchery-origin salmon, including addressing current use of the Issaquah system by natural-origin fish and the question on straying. This project should be analyzed as an H-integration project for its potential effects to the naturally spawning populations in the WRIA before being recommended for construction. This would also address the concerns of NOAA’s Technical Recovery Team, who are concerned with WRIA 8’s addition of Issaquah sub-area restoration projects to the 3-Year Work Plan. The SRFB Review Panel members expressed similar concerns and marked this project as one needing more information, with the suggestion to re-scope the project as an assessment.

The fourth ranked project, Issaquah Creek Waterways – Anderson Property, proposes to acquire nearly four acres at the confluence of Issaquah Creek and the East Fork Issaquah Creek. Project Subcommittee members noted the East Fork has abundant naturally spawning Chinook from late August through early October. SRFB Review Panel members and the SRFB Project Manager recommend that the property be divided into an upland city park and more emphasis on restoration of the riparian area, in particular to remove the rip-rap bank and vegetation restored. The City of Issaquah has indicated that they divided a previously purchased property.

The fifth ranked project, SquakValleyPark/ Issaquah Creek Restoration Project, proposes to remove a ten-foot high levee to reconnect the creek with its right bank floodplain. The Project Subcommittee recommends to not fund this project because it needs design work completed first in order to assess the benefit to Chinook. There were numerous questions on whether removal of the levee, or sections of the levee, would cause more harm than benefit due to the substantial forest cover provided by large, mature trees within the levee. Subsequently, this project has received a “preliminary project of concern” from the SRFB Review Panel members for similar concerns. They suggest the left bank floodplain as a more feasible restoration site if the landowner is interested.

Willowmoor Restoration Project, ranked sixth, seeks to address elevated water temperatures, the number one limiting factor, in the SammamishRiver downstream of the LakeSammamish weir. However, there are numerous questions on whether the design will make any difference in water temperature. The second limiting factor that the project seeks to provide is rearing habitat but this is also questionable due to the high water temperature. Much of the proposal is dependant on approval by the Army Corps of Engineers due to modification of the flood channel. This would need to be documented to ensure design feasibility. The SRFB Review Panel Members marked this project as a preliminary project of concern and the Project Subcommittee recommends not funding this project at this time.

The North Creek and Sammamish River Confluence Habitat Improvement (# 7) is a feasibility study and design plan in the Migratory corridor of the SammamishRiver. Design objectives include minimizing sediment deposition, increasing available cool water refugia, and improving shallow rearing habitat conditions for juvenile salmon. The SRFB Review Panel members recommended re-scoping the project to include both design and permitting, with an emphasis on the habitat restoration. This project is recommended to receive King Conservation District grant funds.

Conclusion: The Project Subcommittee increased the funding for Cottage Lake Creek Conservation because of the high value of this project for Chinook recovery and the critical timing to complete this project as soon as possible before the opportunity is lost. For several of the other projects, the Project Subcommittee would like to stress to future applicants to apply for a specific phase of a project: a) feasibility study; b) design; or c) construction. Funding recommendations by the Project Subcommittee were limited by incomplete information relative to the funding request. They understand this was due in large part to late information about the availability of Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) funds and wish to express their appreciation to applicants to submitting these projects.

Page 1 of 6 SRFB and PSAR – WRIA 8 Project Subcommittee Report10/16/2018 final

Table 1: Summary of 2007 SRFB and Puget Sound Acquisition & Restoration (PSAR) Fund Grants –
WRIA 8 Project Applications - Listed in ranked order of Project Subcommittee Recommendation
Rank
# /
Applicant / Name of
Proposal,
ID code,
Description / Amount of
SRFB/
PSAR
Request / Matching
Funds / Project Sub-
committee
Recommends
SRFB / Project Sub-
committee
Recommends
PSAR
1 /
KingCounty
Tom Beavers / Rainbow Bend Acquisition (P3/ SRFB #07-1531A).
The project proposes to purchase 20 acres of floodplain along the Lower Cedar River in an area surrounded by the most natural existing riverine and riparian habitat downstream from MapleValley. The intent is large scale in-stream and riparian restoration. / $1,000,000 / $3,500,000 / $1,000,000
2 /
King County
Mary Maier / Cottage Lake Creek Conservation Project (P1)
The Cottage Lake Creek Conservation Project will protect 35 high resource acres on nine parcels of property via acquisition of either fee interests of conservation easement(s). The nine parcels encompass 0.55 river miles of regionally significant Chinook spawning habitat on Cottage Lake Creek. / $850,000 / $2,084,000 / $210,353 / $765,097
3 /
City of
Issaquah
Kerry Ritland / Issaquah Hatchery Water Intake Dam Removal Project (R2)
The goal of this project is to restore fish passage at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery Water Intake Dam on Issaquah Creek, so that returning adult salmon are able to access 10 miles of high quality spawning and rearing habitat upstream. The first phase will determine whether the hatchery intake dam will be rebuilt or removed. Project Subcommittee recommends that the feasibility study be rescoped to evaluate the benefits to natural origin salmon and the question of straying. This project can be analyzed as an H-integration project. / $800,000 / $550,000 / Funded as Feasibility Study
$400,000
4 /
City of Issaquah
Margaret Macleod / Issaquah Creek Waterways -Anderson (P2/ SRFB # 07-1533)
Acquisition of a 3.89 acre property at the confluence of the main stem and east fork of the Issaquah Creek. With inclusion of this property, approximately 15 acres of prime wetland, riparian corridor and aquatic
lands would be protected and preserved. / $250,000 / $2,276,000 / $250,000
Rank
# /
Applicant / Name of
Proposal,
ID code,
Description / Amount of
SRFB/
PSAR
Request / Matching
Funds / Project Sub-
committee
Recommends
SRFB / Project Sub-
committee
Recommends
PSAR
5 /
City of
Issaquah
Kerry Ritland / SquakValleyPark/ Issaquah Creek Restoration Project (R1)
The goal of this project is to restore and reconnect the historic floodplain, stream channel, riparian vegetation, and wetlands along SquakValleyPark reach of Issaquah Creek. Successfully implementing this project will increase the quality and quantity of these important watershed features and improve the spawning and rearing success of adult and juvenile salmonids. / $350,000 / $375,000 / $0 / $0
6 /
King County
Nancy Faegenburg / Willowmoor Restoration Project (R3)
The purpose of the Willowmoor project is to significantly improve salmonid habitat conditions by re-establishing a complex mosaic of riverine, riparian, and wetland habitats within and adjacent to the Sammamish River Transition Zone, while maintaining, and if possible, improving the design outlet conditions for Lake Sammamish and associated flood conveyance within the affected reach of the Sammamish River. / 1,200,000 / $870,000 / $0 / $0
7 /
City of Bothell
Douglas Jacobson / North Creek and SammamishRiver Confluence Habitat Improvement (S1)
The goal of this project is to complete a feasibility study and design plan for improving habitat at the confluence of North Creek and the SammamishRiver. The habitat improvement design objectives include minimizing sediment deposition, increasing the amount of available cool water refuge for fish, and improving shallow rearing habitat conditions for juvenile salmon. / $33,750 / $11,250 / Funded through KCD grant
$0 / $0
Request and Match / $4,483,750 / $9,666,250
Estimate of SRFB and PSAR Funds Target Amount - WRIA 8 / $2,625,450 / $610,353 / $2,015,097
Shortfall or Remainder / ($1,858,300) / $0

Page 1 of 6 SRFB and PSAR – WRIA 8 Project Subcommittee Report10/16/2018 final

Table 2: Summary of 2007 SRFB and PSAR Grants - WRIA 8 Project Applications
# / Name of
Proposal / Applicant / Amount of
SRFB
Request / Amount of
PSAR
Request / Matching
Funds / SRFB
Project
Sub-Com
Recommends / PSAR
Project
Sub-Com Recommends
1 / Rainbow Bend Acquisition / KingCounty / $300,000 / $700,000 / $3,500,000 / $1,000,000
2 / Cottage Lake Creek Conservation Project /
KingCounty / $400,000 / $450,000 / $2,084,000 / $210,353* / $765,097*
3 / Issaquah Hatchery Water Intake Dam Removal Project / Issaquah / $800,000 / $550,000 / Funded as Feasibility Study
$400,000
4 / Issaquah Creek Waterways - Anderson / Issaquah / $250,000 / $2,276,000 / $250,000
5 / SquakValleyPark/ Issaquah Creek Restoration Project / Issaquah / $350,000 / $375,000 / $0 / $0
6 / Willowmoor Restoration Project / KingCounty / 1,200,000 / $870,000 / $0 / $0
7 / North Creek and SammamishRiver Confluence Habitat Improvement / Bothell / $33,750 / $11,250 / Funded through KCD
$0
Request and Match / $3,333,750 / $1,150,000 / $9,666,250 / $610,353 / $2,015,097
Total Request SRFB and PSSF = $4,483,750
Estimate of SRFB and Puget Sound Salmon Funds / $607,500 / $2,015,097 / Total Funds
$2,625,450 / $610,353 / $2,015,097
Shortfall or Excess Funds / ($2,723,397) / $865,097 / $0

*Cottage Lake Creek Conservation Project total allocation is $975,450. This is $125,450 over the amount requested to make up
the shortfall in KCD allocation for this project.

Page 1 of 6 SRFB and PSAR – WRIA 8 Project Subcommittee Report10/16/2018 final