MONDAY, MAY 12 ♦ 1 – 5:30 p.m.
MONDAY, MAY 12 ♦ 1–5:30 p.m. (30 to 60-minute drive)
Hosted by Habitat Bank in partnership with the City of Redmond
Recommended attire: boots for some wet walking, clothing for current weather conditions.
Description: The Keller Farm Mitigation Bank (KFMB) is an urban mitigation bank serving the highly developed Lake Washington watershed including portions of Seattle, Bellevue and other communities surrounding the north edge of Lake Washington, the most developed portion of Washington State. KFMB is a 75-acre wetland, stream and riparian habitat restoration project, at the confluence of Bear, Evans and Perrigo Creeks in Redmond, Washington. The KFMB received State and Federal Certification at the end of 2019. Sponsored by Habitat Bank in partnership with the City of Redmond. Permitting was complicated by stream and salmon habitat issues with overlapping and divergent Federal, State, local and Tribal, regulatory, jurisdictional and restoration objectives. The outcome has become a successful high-quality wetland, stream and salmon habitat project surrounded by high density development on the edge of downtown Redmond. The tour will include a walk through the site. Bring boots for some wet walking.
MONDAY, MAY 12 ♦ 1–5:30 p.m. (60 minute drive)
Hosted by Port of Tacoma
Recommended attire: Sturdy shoes, rain gear and clothing for current weather conditions.
1st Stop: Lower Wapato Creek Advance Mitigation Site: Visit at Site: 45 minutes – 1 hour
Description: In partnership with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians (PTOI), the Port of Tacoma has completed construction of the Lower Wapato Creek Habitat Project. This is an advance mitigation project that consists of two primary fish and wetland habitat restoration elements: Replacement of two fish-barrier culverts that convey Wapato Creek under 12th Street East with a fish-passable full-span bridge; a relocation of Wapato Creek from a ditched system to a longer, meandering stream channel and associated wetlands. This includes a variety of associated estuarine/freshwater habitats and a densely vegetated forested upland buffer to provide an increase in the quantity and quality of fish and wildlife habitat, wetlands, and flood capacity. The project re-establishes stream and wetland habitat on approximately 20 acres of tidally influenced estuary and fish bearing stream. This type of habitat is very limited within Commencement Bay and is a high priority for restoration. This project improves habitat on lower Wapato Creek and augments the PTOI’s fish and wetland habitat site constructed upstream near Freeman Road. The Port coordinated all work with the PTOI and their Historic Preservation Office, conducted archeological monitoring, and implemented the project’s inadvertent discovery plan for encountered cultural resources. Three culturally modified trees and thirteen culturally significant trees (>48 inch in diameter) were unearthed during construction along with many other smaller trees. The project design incorporates cultural and habitat conditions requested by the PTOI including protection of an existing large cottonwood tree with a hawk’s nest and preservation of as many mature trees as possible on the site, among other items. The discovered culturally modified and culturally significant trees remain on site in protected upland areas. This project provides advance mitigation for future unavoidable wetland impacts on Port-owned properties and for non-endangered species act (non-ESA) fish/habitat impacts to Wapato Creek (downstream of the site).
2nd Stop: qal'qalǝk(w)alq(w)u? (Place of Circling Waters): (10 minutes from 1st stop)
Description: Place of Circling Waters is a consolidated habitat mitigation site comprised of four different mitigation actions, including the Port’s first advance mitigation site. The advance mitigation site is constructed ahead of Port development projects with potential aquatic habitat impacts to reduce temporal loss (the amount of time it takes for a new habitat site to mature). In addition to the advance mitigation area, the site also includes mitigation for a former owner wetland violation, a Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) restoration area, and a concurrent mitigation area. The site includes tidal channels, mudflats, and estuary salt marsh, vital habitat for migrating salmon in the Hylebos watershed. It also includes freshwater wetlands and a contiguous riparian zone with densely planted native shrubs and trees. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians dedicated the site and gave it its name after construction was completed in 2011. Place of Circling Waters offers a public access area with an outlook platform, picnic tables, and interpretive signage.
