King County hosts online community meeting, virtual open house for Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project

October 13, 2020

Summary

King County is hosting a virtual open house and online community meeting for residents to learn about the Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project that will reconnect the floodplain and restore this historically productive area for salmon.

Story

King County hosts a virtual open house from Oct. 26 - Nov. 9 and an online community meeting on Oct. 28 to share information with and receive information from the community on the Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project.

Formerly known as Haffner-Barfuse, the project will reconnect the floodplain and restore native plants to this productive area for salmon that is currently experiencing only a fraction of the number of historical returns.

The project team will present the initial project design and schedule, answer questions and take feedback during the online community meeting (registration is required). All project information will be posted on the online open house for those who are unable to attend the community meeting.

Project elements include:

• Removal of aging Snoqualmie River facilities on the north bank (Haffner revetment) and on the south bank (Barfuse levee).
• Construction of modern flood and erosion protection features that are engineered to safeguard neighboring farms, homes, and infrastructure. 
• Reconnection of close to a mile of side channel in the floodplain, improving salmon rearing and spawning habitat in one of the most important salmon reaches in the Snohomish River Basin. 
• Relocation of approximately 1,200 feet of Neal Road Southeast to improve public safety and maintain safe access to private properties.

The virtual open house will also include a brief overview of the health of the local salmon populations, their challenges, and the unique role that the Fall City area on the Snoqualmie River plays in restoring the habitat needed to recover salmon.  

Visit kingcounty.gov/FallCityFloodplain for access to the virtual open house, starting on Oct. 26 and to register for the online community meeting, Oct. 28. Send questions and comments to Fauna Nopp, Project Manager at fauna.nopp@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-4787.  
 
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Logan Harris, 206-477-4516

About the King County Water and Land Resources Division
The Water and Land Resources Division works to protect the health and integrity of King County’s natural resources. Employees work to reduce flood risks, monitor water quality and restore wildlife habitat; manage, and reduce the harmful impacts from stormwater, noxious weeds and hazardous waste; create sustainable forestry and agriculture; and protect open space to support all of these efforts.