Tuesday May 17, 2022
KNDO —
The City of Kirkland has begun steambank restoration along Juanita Creek to improve water quality for the salmon that spawn there.
The Jaunita Creek project is a part of a larger effort to restore the kokanee salmon population of Washington’s lakes. Kirkland received a total of $71,500 from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s WaterWorks grant program in 2019 and 2021 to fund projects like the restoration of Juanita Creek.
“Protecting wildlife in our streams and water systems is of utmost importance to our region,” Kirkland Councilmember Kelli Curtis said in a statement. “Kirkland is proud to steward our streams, creeks and wetlands to contribute to a healthier watershed that benefits both our human and nonhuman residents.”
Kokanee salmon are a non-anadromous form of the sockeye salmon. This means that kokanee salmon live their entire lives in freshwater environments. As opposed to sockeye salmon that migrate to the sea.