Track Our Progress

Possible breakthrough for native kokanee salmon after a near extinction

King County biologists reported the  strongest return  of adult kokanee salmon in the Lake Sammamish watershed in a decade, a potential breakthrough for the freshwater species after nearly going extinct a few years ago.

At least 6,800 adult kokanee salmon have returned from the lake to their spawning ground after 10 years of alarmingly low returns, including just 19 salmon returning to spawn during the 2017-2018 season. The strong return occurred six years after Executive Constantine directed the Department of Natural Resources and Parks to enact emergency actions recommended by partners to prevent the possible extinction of a salmon population that is important to the region’s history and habitat.

It was the second promising development for the native species during the 2024-2025 season. King County and its recovery partners released a  record-high 12,000 fry  near the middle of Lake Sammamish.

Fully charged to protect Puget Sound: Reliable onsite power for West Point Treatment Plant

Executive Constantine congratulated a project team for completing construction of a  unique high-voltage battery system  that provides stable power to West Point Treatment Plant, delivering on his emergency declaration to protect Puget Sound and prepare the facility for climate impacts.

Within two years, King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division demolished an older building and built a 24,000-square-foot structure that contains more than 48,000 battery cells. The onsite power system prevents split-second voltage sags from the inbound power lines from shutting down the plant’s critical operating pumps. It is the first project of its kind in the United States.

Successful paint recycling program demonstrates the power of extended producer responsibility

A state law that went into effect in 2020 promoting product stewardship  dramatically reduced  the amount of oil-based paint sent to the regional landfill in Maple Valley, preventing waste and protecting the natural environment in King County.

An estimated 15,000 gallons of oil-based paint were sent to Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in 2019, a year before the state law applied the principles of extended producer responsibility. There was almost none when King County’s Solid Waste Division measured again in 2023.

New flood plan capitalizes on latest climate science, adapts to increased risk in urban and coastal communities

King County’s first complete update of its Flood Management Plan since 2006 capitalizes on the latest climate science to describe how flood risks in urban and coastal communities and along tributary streams are expected to change in the future. It also identifies actions that will reduce flood risk, improve habitat, and enhance the resilience of communities.

Severe flooding – already the most common natural disaster in King County – is expected to occur more frequently due to climate change. The comprehensive plan will guide investments, strategies, and actions to mitigate increasing flood risk.

Installing lights at BMX racetrack with funding from King County Parks Levy

The City of SeaTac installed lighting at its popular BMX racetrack with grant funding from the  King County Parks Levy , increasing the track’s operational hours and qualifying to host national competitions.

Storing carbon, protecting tree canopy, improving water quality, enhancing habitat: 5 years of progress for King County’s Forest Carbon Program

Five years after King County became the nation’s first local government to offer a  certified carbon credit program  that protects both urban and rural forests, the initiative is producing lasting results for people, salmon, and wildlife.

Unlike other carbon offset programs that protect forestland in different parts of the world, King County’s program makes it possible for local companies to protect forestland close to home where their employees and their families can explore.

On track to restore access to 300-plus miles of fish habitat within a decade

King County is on track to  restore access  to more than 300 miles of fish habitat within a decade, one of the most effective ways to help ensure the survival of native salmon and the southern residents that rely on them as a food source.

King County’s approach unifies investments to produce multiple benefits for people, fish, and wildlife. For example, a successful project along Ravensdale Creek replaced a century-old culvert with a new trail bridge. King County Parks, meanwhile, transformed the surrounding 1,200 acres from a degraded landscape into dynamic, healthy habitat that features restored forestland, backcountry trails, and a scenic bridge offering views of increased wildlife activity.

Completing King County’s largest-ever floodplain restoration project, improving habitat and protecting farmland along the Snoqualmie River

DNRP’s Water and Land Resources Division successfully completed the 145-acre  Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project  – the largest project of its kind in King County’s history – to improve habitat and protect farmland, homes, and businesses along the Snoqualmie River.

It is among the first County-led projects to apply the principles of Snoqualmie Fish, Farm, and Flood, a landmark agreement Executive Constantine signed in 2017 to achieve multiple benefits for restoration projects.

 Here is coverage  by The Seattle Times.

Training the next generation of professionals who will protect Puget Sound

A national award-winning approach to recruiting and training talent provided King County with a new generation of skilled tradespeople to operate the region’s wastewater system and protect Puget Sound.

The  Operator-in-Training Program  addressed a critical labor shortage while increasing the racial and gender diversity of the Wastewater Treatment Division’s workforce to better reflect local communiities.

Securing a $500 million commitment from EPA to protect water quality, prepare for climate impacts

DNRP’s Wastewater Treatment Division secured a nearly  $500 million loan package  from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete 14 critical infrastructure upgrades that will better protect water quality in Central Puget Sound for decades.

The projects will build on enhancements King County has made in recent years that have made the regional wastewater treatment system safer, more reliable, and more resilient to climate impacts.

Leading the transition to demolition to reduce waste generated at construction sites

DNRP’s Solid Waste Division is helping the local construction industry transition from the traditional demolition model to deconstruction, an approach that can reduce the amount of worksite material that ends up at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill by as much as 90%.

 Watch this video  of the training program.

New trail bridge connects Eastrail to Sound Transit’s Wilburton Station

King County Parks’ new trail bridge connects Eastrail to Sound Transit’s Wilburton Station in Bellevue, making it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross one of the busiest city streets on the Eastside. The 500-foot-long bridge features artwork honoring the authentic Japanese American history of the location led by the community-based organization Isan Bellevue.

Once complete, Eastrail will offer direct connections to four of Sound Transit’s 2 Line stations.

Modernizing our approach to habitat restoration to capitalize on the unique talents of beavers

King County habitat restoration managers are  adapting their work  along rivers and streams to account for the transformational changes in landscapes made by beavers as their population recovers and repopulates wetlands and waterways.

The manual says ecologists and engineers should assume that beavers will inhabit their restoration sites and that beaver activities should be anticipated in each step of the project design. Experts say the new approach will better capitalize on beavers’ unique ability to promote biodiversity and improve water quality.

Here’s coverage by  The Seattle Times .

Transforming the iconic Wilburton Trestle for a new purpose: A 1,000-foot-long trail bridge for Eastrail

King County Parks is transforming the 1,000-foot-long Wilburton Trestle, adding it to Eastrail to offer skyline views of Bellevue and connections to other regional trails and Sound Transit’s Wilburton Station.  

The iconic wooden railroad trestle is expected to be one of the most popular segments of the emerging 42-mile Eastrail, a former rail corridor that is being converted into an uninterrupted regional trail.

Studying the core of Lake Washington provides roadmap to confront newer health risks

A  King County study  of Lake Washington’s lakebed sediment dating back to the mid-1800s shows levels of PCBs, the once common and dangerous chemical are expected to fall below currently detectable levels within the next two decades. Researchers say the findings reaffirm the effectiveness of regulations and personal actions and offer a strategy for addressing emerging environmental threats, including stormwater pollution.

Leading Re+ to reinvent the region’s waste system, transition to a circular economy

DNRP’s Solid Waste Division is leading an initiative,  Re+ , to cut greenhouse gas emissions by transforming the region’s waste system to a circular, sustainable economy.

While King County achieved one of the highest recycling rates in the country, nearly 70% of the materials currently brought to the regional landfill could be reused, recycled, or composted, rather than buried as waste that generates potent greenhouse gas emissions. Re+ mobilizes the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to extend producer responsibility, make it more convenient to recycle, reduce food waste, and invest in new technologies that recover valuable materials.

Connecting 2,000 feet of pipe under Lake Washington to improve wastewater treatment, restore habitat, enhance I-90 Trail

Crews with unique expertise in underwater construction replaced aging wastewater pipes along the bottom of Lake Washington that connect Mercer Island to Bellevue to provide reliable sewer service for decades.

The  project , led by DNRP’s Wastewater Treatment Division, also restored shoreline habitat between Enatai Beach Park and Mercer Island Boat Launch, and upgraded the I-90 Trail to make it more accessible.

Closing a gap for Eastrail by retrofitting a steel bridge that crosses I-90

King County Parks successfully competed for a $25 million grant administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation that will help  close a key gap  of the emerging 42-mile Eastrail by crossing Interstate 90. The grant provides half the funding Parks needs to retrofit a steel bridge that spans all 16 lanes of the interstate.

Stream health is improving throughout King County

Multiple studies based on 20 years of data collected by King County environmental scientists indicate widespread improvements in the health of local streams – and there’s greater opportunity for additional gains than expected.

The  trends study  by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks suggests that streams are more resilient than once thought, and even those most impacted by urban development can improve over time – and by more than what scientists expected. Conditions are improving in both urban and rural areas with 16 of 38 watersheds improving and just one, Deep Creek, declining.

Here is coverage by  The Seattle Times .

$109 million for 52 conservation projects to build climate resilience, increase access to open space

One year after King County voters approved Executive Constantine’s initiative to accelerate land conservation, he announced $109 million for 52 projects that will increase climate resiliency and access to open space, and advance food sovereignty where there is the greatest need.

The conservation investments doubled the amount approved a year earlier.

Now open! East Lake Sammamish Trail is ready for all to enjoy

King County Parks completed construction of the  East Lake Sammamish Trail , its latest contribution to the 44-mile Locks to Lake Corridor that connects Golden Gardens Park in Ballard to Eastside cities and the Cascade foothills with an uninterrupted paved path.

Converting wastewater into renewable energy, starting in South Lake Union

King County is among the first metropolitan regions in the nation to install advanced  Sewer Heat Recovery technology  to heat and cool commercial buildings, starting with a 1.6 million-square-foot life sciences campus in Seattle’s South Lake Union. The technology draws heat from a county sewer pipe and sends it through a heat pump system and network of pipes to heat the campus interiors.

Here’s coverage by  The Seattle Times .

$30 million to build aquatic facilities, enhance parks, restore river corridors, increase equity in recreation

Executive Constantine announced more than $30 million in King County Parks Levy  funding for 53 projects  that is now building and upgrading aquatic facilities, enhancing parks and trails, protecting and restoring river corridors, and making access to healthy recreation more equitable. Grant recipients include cities, park districts, school districts, and community-based organizations throughout the county.

Transforming dilapidated buildings along Duwamish River into healthy habitat for salmon

The former site of a run-down hotel along the Duwamish River is  now healthy habitat  where young salmon can safely transition from freshwater to saltwater on their way to Puget Sound thanks to an award-winning project led by DNRP’s Water and Land Resources Division with an innovative funding strategy that included Sound Transit.

Here’s coverage by  The Seattle Times .

Regional solutions to reduce stormwater, a major threat to water quality in the Puget Sound watershed

King County is bringing together Tribal leaders, state and federal agency leaders, water quality experts, university researchers, and cities and counties throughout Central Puget Sound to pursue regional solutions to stormwater pollution, one of the greatest threats to water quality in the Puget Sound watershed.

Stormwater is runoff that occurs during rainfall, pushing toxics – motor oil, metals, pesticides, fertilizer, and pet waste – directly into rivers, Lake Washington, and Puget Sound. Experts determined that it has contributed to the dramatic decline in native salmon populations, which threatens the survival of southern resident orcas that rely on them for food. It also impacts human health by making it less safe to eat local fish and swim in lakes and Puget Sound.

 Watch the video 

Making it safer, easier for South King County to contribute to Re+ climate solutions

DNRP’s Solid Waste Division broke ground on a state-of-the-art station in South King County that will offer enhanced waste disposal and recycling services.

The new South County Recycling and Transfer Station in Algona – south of Auburn – will make it safer and easier to recycle appliances, glass, metals, plastics, wood, and paper, compost yard waste, and dispose hazardous materials. The green design includes a solar array that will provide nearly half of the energy needed to operate the station, charging stations for electric vehicles, and habitat enhancements.

Completing Riverbend, a major Cedar River restoration project that reduces flood risks, improves salmon habitat, provides more food for orcas

DNRP’s Water and Land Resources Division restored a nearly mile-long segment of the Cedar River to a more natural state, simultaneously improving salmon habitat and reducing flood risks for people, homes, and infrastructure.

The  Riverbend project  restored 52 acres of floodplain east of Renton while creating side channels that provide slow-water, shallow habitat that is ideal for native Chinook salmon. It builds on the progress King County and partners made upstream with the successful Rainbow Bend restoration project that was completed in 2013.

Here’s coverage by  The Seattle Times .

By land, air, and sea: King County releases young salmon flown in on small airplanes

Six months after biologists reported the strongest returns of native kokanee salmon in several years, a partnership coordinated by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks  released more young fish  into the middle of Lake Sammamish. The native salmon were among those transferred on  small airplanes  from a hatchery on Orcas Island.

The promising signs came four years after Executive Constantine announced that the Department of Natural Resources and Parks would enact emergency and long-range actions to help ensure the survival of the “little red fish” that are important to the region’s ecology and history.

Here’s coverage by  KUOW .

Rolling out the state’s first battery-electric heavy-duty truck built in Renton, opening a new market for zero-emission fleets

DNRP’s Solid Waste Division became the first organization in the state – public or private – to roll out a new model of battery-electric heavy-duty trucks manufactured at Kenworth’s assembly plant in Renton, opening a new market for zero-emission fleets. It is one of the first Class 8 battery-electric trucks in North America operated by a waste management agency.

   Watch the video .

Making access to protected farmland more equitable

King County is transitioning  farmland in the Green River Valley  it protected nearly 40 years ago from a single, corporate-owned farm business to one that better reflects the racial and cultural diversity of South King County. The Department of Natural Resources and Parks is now replicating this successful model by sustaining the accelerated preservation of farmland as well as forests, trails, rivers, and greenspace.

 Watch the videos and meet the farmers 

Removing nearly 2,000 toxic-coated pilings from the mouth of the Duwamish River

King County completed a  major cleanup project  where the Duwamish River meets Elliott Bay, removing a derelict timber dock and nearly 2,000 toxic-coated pilings from the Harbor Island shoreline.

The $8.1 million project, led by DNRP’s Solid Waste Division, removed a 72,700 square-foot dock and its 1,800 timber pilings coated in creosote, a chemical once used to preserve wood and is harmful to water quality and marine life.

Creating a food hub to better connect farmers, hunger relief organizations

The Department of Natural Resources and Parks is partnering with Food Lifeline to convert their 40,000-square-foot warehouse into the new  South Seattle Community Food Hub , providing much-needed shared space for storing, packing, and distributing fresh produce and goods to people and families experiencing food insecurity.

$52 million for 36 open space preservation projects

Executive Constantine’s plan to invest $52 million in open space preservation now  funds 36 projects  to increase access to greenspace and parks in underserved communities, acquire land for habitat restoration, protect tree canopy, and strengthen the local food system.

Rapidly accelerating land conservation throughout King County

King County voters approved Executive Constantine’s proposal to rapidly accelerate the county’s capacity to protect open spaces, including forests, trails, river corridors, farmland, and urban greenspace.

The initiative fully restored the local  Conservation Futures Program  to its original rate and accelerated the  Land Conservation Initiative , a regional partnership of communities, cities, farmers, businesses, and environmental leaders to protect 65,000 acres of the highest conservation-value open space.

Check out the  storymap .

Completing one of the biggest restoration projects ever along the Green River

Executive Constantine congratulated DNRP staff and partners for completing a  major restoration project  along the Green River that has improved fish and wildlife habitat while protecting nearby farmland, homes, and roads from flooding and erosion.

The successful project near Auburn replaced the degraded Lones Levee, which was built in the 1960s, with a modern, integrated design that restored a critical section of the Green River to a more natural state. The site is now known by its traditional Lushootseed name, čak w ab, pronounced “chock-wob," as identified by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The name was applied to this place by Tribal ancestors to mean “bring something to the water.”

Deploying a buoy to study underwater noise of Puget Sound 

Marine mammal scientists aboard SoundGuardian, DNRP’s research vessel, deployed a buoy into Puget Sound that  measured the underwater noise  from commercial and recreational vessels that pose multiple risks to southern resident orcas.

The pro bono study by SMRU Consulting – which conducts marine mammal research worldwide – helped increase the frequency and quality of reports of orca sightings provided to pilots of large vessels so they can voluntarily slow down or change course, reducing the amount of underway noise and preventing collisions.

 Coverage by The Seattle Times  

Take a tour of land conservation success in the Green-Duwamish Watershed

King County officials joined partner cities for a  multi-stop tour  of land conservation successes in the Green-Duwamish Watershed, seeing how the cities of Des Moines, Seattle, and Tukwila worked with the county to revitalize greenspace and expand parks in some of the most racially diverse communities in the nation. 

Largest park agency in the nation to be certified Salmon-Safe

King County Parks is the largest park agency in the nation to  earn Salmon-Safe certification  after a rigorous evaluation concluded that its operations and practices protect downstream water quality and benefit threatened salmon species.

The certification shows how King County Parks – a steward of more than 200 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, 215 miles of backcountry trails, and 30,000 acres of open space – contributes to the Clean Water Healthy Habitat Initiative that Executive Constantine launched to produce better results faster for people, salmon, and orcas.

Connecting people experiencing homelessness to jobs and housing

Executive Constantine met one of the  King County Parks crews  restoring and enhancing regional parks and trails, an early success for the Jobs and Housing Program he included in the pandemic recovery package.

King County’s Jobs and Housing Program hosted focused recruitment events at emergency shelters to offer people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to join King County Parks Beautification Crews, earning salaries that can help them transition to permanent housing.

Installing a new lookout tower offering spectacular views at Pinnacle Peak Park

King County Parks worked with community partners to  install a lookout tower  at the top of Mount Peak near Enumclaw, inspired by the original fire lookout tower that was decommissioned in 1966.

Partially funded by King County Parks’ Community Partnerships and Grants Program, the project led by the Mount Peak Historical Fire Lookout Association now offers a deck where hikers at Pinnacle Peak Park can enjoy spectacular views of Mount Rainier and the nearby landscape.

Protecting farmland, connecting communities

Executive Constantine announced progress toward King County’s goal of  protecting 13,500 acres of farmland  needed to strengthen the local food economy, adding it to the 16,000 acres that the county has preserved over the past 40 years.  

Many of the fresh goods purchased at farmers markets, groceries, and restaurants today are grown on farmland that King County has protected with its successful Farmland Preservation Program. Executive Constantine included farmland in the Land Conservation Initiative to help ensure that future generations have equitable access to nutritious, locally grown food as the population grows and the cost of land rises.

Protecting, restoring one of the most productive salmon habitats in the region

Executive Constantine went on a two-stop tour in the Bear Creek watershed – one of the most productive salmon habitats in the region – to see how staff and partners are applying the principles of Clean Water Healthy Habitat to produce better outcomes for people, salmon, and orcas.

During the second stop at a recently acquired natural area along Bear Creek, he got to see the progress that the Department of Natural Resources and Parks is making with partners to advance the  Land Conservation Initiative .

Making ownership of green homes more equitable

Executive Constantine toured new green affordable townhomes in Renton that were partly funded by King County grants. It’s a successful model he wants to replicate with partners to lower the barriers to healthy, green home ownership, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while preventing displacement so vibrant communities stay connected.

 Coverage by KNKX 

Protecting the farmland needed for a resilient, equitable food economy 

Executive Constantine visited farms in the Sammamish River Valley where King County has permanently protected the land from development to sustain a resilient, equitable local food economy.

The Department of Natural Resources and Parks has protected more than 16,000 acres of  farmland  over the past 40 years and, under the Land Conservation Initiative that Executive Constantine launched in 2016, will protect an additional 13,500 acres. 

Watch the  video .

Making access to mountain forests more equitable, convenient

Trailhead Direct – the popular transit-to-trails service co-led each summer by King County Metro and King County Parks – has taken thousands of hikers to some of the most popular trailheads in the region since it first launched in 2018.  

Check out the current routes at  TrailheadDirect.org .

Kicking off 3 Million Trees to increase tree canopy, prepare forests for climate impacts

Executive Constantine on Earth Day 2021 joined community partners to kick off  3 Million Trees , an initiative that will plant, protect, and prepare a combined three million trees throughout King County by the end of 2025.

The Department of Natural Resources and Parks is planting 500,000 trees, accelerating land conservation to protect intact forestland this is absorbing carbon today, and preparing forests for warmer, drier summers that are occurring as the result of climate change.

Connecting local farmers to more customers with Local Food Finder

Executive Constantine visited a farm in North Bend that is one of many participating in King County's mobile-friendly  Local Food Finder . It is one of several ways the Department of Natural Resources and Parks has made it easier than ever to get fresh vegetables, fruit, cheeses, berries, flowers, soap, honey, and jams delivered directly from local farms or arrange for convenient pickup at a farm.

Promoting healthy, resilient urban and rural forests

King County staff experts briefed Executive Constantine on the  30-Year Forest Plan  during a multi-stop tour of the county’s Ravensdale Retreat Natural Area, showing him how they’re working with partners and private land stewards to promote healthy, resilient forests.

The plan is a shared vision for increasing forest canopy, improving forest health, confronting climate change, and achieving clean water and healthy habitat.

 Coverage by The Seattle Times