Wednesday April 23, 2025
Everett Post —
King County is reporting early success from a $19 million floodplain restoration project that’s helping young salmon thrive in the Snoqualmie River.
In April 2024, the county completed its largest-ever floodplain restoration project along the Snoqualmie River. The county removed more than half a mile of levees and other barriers to reconnect the river to its floodplain near Fall City.
The Snoqualmie River is confined by levees and revetments that limit the natural processes of the habitat. The project aimed to reverse the impacts of these hindrances.
A year later, the county says the project has improved salmon habitat and strengthened flood protections for nearby farms, roads and homes.
King County Water and Land Resources Division ecologists studied the 145 acres of restored floodplains and found the habitats are supporting strong growth in young salmon.
The study found that young Chinook salmon were gaining more than one-third of their body weight – and some gaining more than half their body weight – over the six-week study period.