Who we are

The Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services Unit (ERES) designs, permits, implements and monitors ecological restoration projects in King County’s aquatic and riparian environments to promote salmon recovery.

ERES has a multidisciplinary staff of ecologists, engineers, geologists and project managers with decades of cumulative experience in ecosystem assessment, project conception and design, regulatory management, construction procurement and supervision, and project effectiveness monitoring.

What we do

ERES specializes in process-based restoration and has implemented dozens of projects in King County in the more than 25 years since the inception of its predecessor, the Ecological Services Unit.

Projects successfully completed by ERES include large-scale levee setbacks on the Snoqualmie, Green and Cedar rivers, riparian plantings across King County, wetland restoration and creation, instream habitat improvements using woody debris and channel modifications, and marine shoreline restoration. ERES manages restoration projects from project identification and definition through design, permitting, contractor procurement, construction supervision and post-project monitoring. A focus on sound and efficient project management, process-based design and dedication to the recovery of ecosystems and their native fish and wildlife species, including imperiled salmon populations, ensure that ERES projects make the most of the limited resources.

Project examples

• Middle Boise Creek Van Wieringen Restoration Project
• Maury Island Aquatic Reserve Armoring Removal Project
• Porter Levee Setback and Floodplain Restoration Project
• Cedar River Riverbend Project
• Maury Island Natural Area Fill Removal Project
• Harris Creek Fish Passage Project

Funding and partnerships

Restoration projects managed and designed by ERES are funded by:

• King County Surface Water Management (SWM) fees;
• King County’s Mitigation Reserves Program, a federally- and state-authorized in-lieu fee mitigation program; and
• Local, state and federal grants.

ERES works closely with other organizations involved in salmon recovery, including:

• Native American tribes;
• Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) salmon recovery groups;
• Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board;
• King County Flood Control District; and
• Other government agencies.

For more information about the Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services Unit, please contact Jeff Robinson, Capital Project Manager.