Squak Valley Park Stream, Wetland, and Floodplain Restoration

Statistics

• Client: City of Issaquah
• Location: Issaquah, WA
• Dates: 2009 - 2010
• Services: Conceptual restoration design, stream, floodplain, and wetland restoration, stream and wetland delineation

Description

The Watershed Company provided final construction plans, permitting and public participation for park redevelopment and restoration of a 1,250 foot section of Issaquah Creek and associated wetlands within Squak Valley Park. Work included removal of an existing levee, regrading of the floodplain to incorporate stream meanders, placement of large woody debris structures and rock as well as excavations to create pool-riffle sequences. Pre-design included extensive hydrologic and sediment modeling to ensure project integrity. Besides design work, The Watershed Company planners and scientists planned a series of meetings adjacent property owners to address their concerns regarding project impacts.

This work is a follow-up to conceptual plans done by The Watershed Company that helped the City garner $712,000 in grants from the King Conservation District, the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This project addresses salmon recovery objectives of the WRIA 8 Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan. It will greatly improve habitat values benefiting several andromous salmonids, including Chinook, coho, cutthroat and steelhead trout plus terrestrial wildlife species.