Reinig Road Revetment Project

Project Update

Construction repairs to the Reinig Road Revetment will take place between approximately June 15 and Oct. 12, 2021. Southeast Reinig Road will be closed near the project site for construction. The westbound lane will reopen by Sept. 20, 2021. The closure area will be limited to Southeast 81st Street to 428th Avenue Southeast. Local access for emergency vehicles, Snoqualmie Valley School District school buses, and residents living along this stretch of road will be provided.

Project Overview

The Reinig Road Revetment is located along Southeast Reinig Road on the north bank of the Snoqualmie River opposite the mouth of the South Fork Snoqualmie River and the Three Forks Natural Area. The project site is in unincorporated King County just northeast of the City of Snoqualmie. The surrounding area is primarily rural residential and undeveloped lands.

Figure 1: Reinig Road Revetment Site Map

In recent years, high river flows have damaged portions of the revetment. In total, the damaged portions extend approximately 775 feet and are situated across from where the South Fork Snoqualmie River joins the Snoqualmie River. These sections have little armor rock remaining at the face, and erosion continues to widen the damaged areas and is advancing into the riverbank toward the road. 

A long segment of Southeast Reinig Road runs adjacent to the Snoqualmie River east of the city. Two utilities run parallel to and within the road’s right-of-way: Puget Sound Energy power transmission lines and the Canyon Springs water supply main. Rock armoring along the riverbank protects the road and utilities from river erosion and channel migration.  

As service provider to the King County Flood Control District, King County plans to rebuild approximately 775 feet of damaged revetment. The reconstructed revetment will be designed to improve riverbank stability, increase resilience to river scour and erosion, accommodate future changes to the river channel, and provide a longer functional lifespan of the revetment. 

Figure 2: View looking west of Reinig Road Revetment and damaged areas

Figure 3: View of project area from opposite bank of Snoqualmie River

The project includes two primary elements: 1) reconstruction of the revetment and 2) installation of flow deflector structures. The revetment reconstruction includes re-grading the underlying riverbank to a lower slope angle, burying large rocks below the river bottom to inhibit undermining of the riverbank, placing additional rock on the lower face of the riverbank to resist bank erosion, and installing vegetated “soil wraps” above the rock to stabilize the upper river bank. A series of flow deflector structures will be constructed along the length of the revetment repair site. The flow deflectors will be designed to shift damaging high flows away from the riverbank and to accommodate natural, ongoing changes to the river channel in ways that do not jeopardize the integrity of the river bank and road.  

Project Goals

• Repair damages and improve stability of the revetment, reducing the potential for further erosion.
• Conduct repair in a manner that minimizes long-term maintenance needs and associated costs.
• Provide aquatic and riparian habitat benefits to the extent practicable.

Project Timeline

Project Documents

Construction will begin in Summer 2021. A SEPA Checklist and Determination of Non-Significance have been prepared.

The comment period for this action was Oct. 16 - 30, 2020.

• SEPA Checklist (910, KB)
• Determination of Non-Significance October, 2020 (PDF, 41.7 KB)
• Geotechnical Investigation Report (PDF, 6.80 MB)
• Public Safety Management Plan (PSMP (PDF, 1.04 MB)

About the King County Flood Control District

The King County Flood Control District is a special purpose government created to provide funding and policy oversight for flood protection projects and programs in King County. The Flood Control District’s Board is composed of the members of the King County Council. The Water and Land Resources Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks develops and implements the approved flood protection projects and programs. Information is available at kingcountyfloodcontrol.org.