Project along Green River will protect vital road, improve habitat conditions for fish and wildlife
Published 10:30 am Friday, June 2, 2017
A King County project that will help protect a busy road and area farms from river flooding while improving habitat for endangered salmon gets underway this summer in the Green River Valley, east of Auburn.
The Porter Reach restoration project, located in the Porter Levee Natural Area sits along the west bank of the Green River upstream from the State Route 18 bridge.
In addition to improving drainage along Green Valley Road, which can be inundated with floodwaters during high-flow events, the Porter Reach restoration project is designed to benefit chinook salmon and steelhead, which are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The project will also improve drainage for agriculture production in the valley.
Construction is scheduled to start mid-June and finish in January 2018. Green Valley Road will be reduced to one lane for two weeks in October.
Construction includes removing 900 feet of the 1,500-foot-long levee to allow the river to move over the floodplain, and installing large wood, both of which will improve habitat for fish and wildlife. A 1,000–foot-long backwater channel will be constructed to promote the rearing of young fish.
Approximately 970 feet of Green Valley Road will be elevated and a culvert will be installed to improve drainage and reduce flooding in the immediate area. Following construction, portions of the site will be revegetated with native trees and shrubs.
“I’m excited to see Green River Porter Levee Project start its final phase after years of work and planning,” said Supervisor Reagan Dunn, chair of the King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors. “These added protections are not only critical for reducing flooding but help ensure a better future for local salmon and area transportation.”
“This is a project that serves a dual purpose,” said King County Flood Control District Supervisor Pete von Reichbauer. “Its primary responsibility continues to be the protection of lives and property. But it’s also an opportunity for environmental and habitat restoration which has long-term benefits.”
Total project cost is approximately $5.97 million, with funding coming from Floodplains by Design ($3.34 million), King County Surface Water Management ($1.08 million), King County Flood Control District ($720,000), the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board ($438,000), and a Cooperative Watershed Management grant through the Flood Control District ($389,000).
Get more information and sign up for project updates at kingcounty.gov/restoration. Or contact project manager Fauna Nopp at 206-477-4787 or fauna.nopp@kingcounty.gov.
