SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION (Seattle, WA) - Seattle Shoreline and Salmon Habitat Assessment

Friday, October 14, 2005

(Parks Practices)


	Herring's House Park on the Duwamish Waterway, just south of downtown Seattle

SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION
Seattle, WA

In This Profile: Program Description • Program Goals • Timeframe • Budget • Funding/Support • Results Achieved • Lessons Learned • Ask The Expert • Contact Information

Introduction

Seattle Parks and Recreation comprises 6,300 acres of parkland (10 percent of the Seattle's total acreage) — 25 community centers, 10 pools, an aquarium, four environmental learning centers, four golf courses, two boating centers, an indoor tennis center, numerous other facilities and 400-plus parks. Recent voter-approved property tax levies have made possible new community centers, new pools, 600 acres of added open space, and improved recreation programs and maintenance. Seattle Parks works in partnerships with volunteers (more than 300,000 volunteer hours in 2004), public schools, universities, utilities, businesses, environmental groups and community organizations, to deliver the best possible park and recreation services. Its superintendent, Ken Bounds, serves on the CPA board.

Program Title: Seattle Shoreline and Salmon Habitat Assessment

Program description


	Venema Creek Salmon

In 1999, chinook salmon were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the waters throughout the Seattle area. Although site-specific salmon habitat restoration strategies are fairly well understood, prioritizing restoration opportunities at dozens of shoreline parks throughout the city required a strategic approach that included a comprehensive inventory and assessment. Seattle Parks and Recreation, working with consultant Anchor Environmental, targeted limited restoration dollars toward the highest-value opportunities for chinook conservation and restoration.

As in most habitat restoration efforts, the where can be more important than the how. In this case, Seattle Parks identified the most viable sites by considering both the needs of migrating juvenile salmon and the potential conflicts with human uses at various park sites.

Seattle Parks staff identified shoreline areas, mainly at the south end of Lake Washington, where minor interventions result in viable restored or created salmon-friendly habitat. By considering the benefits to salmon and the conflicts with human recreation activities from the beginning, Seattle Parks was able to identify the most promising and feasible projects, obtain restoration funding and complete the restoration work in a timely fashion. The work includes removing concrete bulkhead, and adding sand, gravel and overhanging native plants to shoreline areas — all of which create habitat friendly to out-migrating juvenile salmon.


	Gravel was added to this site on the south side of Seward Park on Lake Washington both in the water and the shoreline to improve the nearshore habitat for migrating salmon. Willow plants were planted to provide shade for resting fish.

Seattle's restoration prioritization process included the following steps:

Research on chinook salmon life cycles in Lake Washington and Puget Sound
Fieldwork to assess habitat features across the park system to evaluate salmon habitat suitability
Assessment of human recreation uses of park shorelines (e.g., pedestrian trails, boat ramps, swimming beaches)
Development of scoring system that considered habitat and recreational uses
Assignment of restoration priorities for all shorelines in the Seattle Parks system

Because of this comprehensive approach, Seattle Parks and Recreation has been successful at raising more than $1 million from a number of public agencies and private organizations interested in supporting chinook salmon recovery. Partner agencies and organizations have included U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle Public Utilities, King Conservation District, Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, Washington State Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, private foundations, and many others. Seattle Parks has created a contiguous two-mile-long shoreline refuge around the Seward Park peninsula along Lake Washington. Salmon habitat restoration work is also under way or funded at a number of other parks on Lake Washington and Puget Sound.

Program goals/issues addressed:


	At this site, gravel was also added and willows planted. Bulkheads were removed.

We are meeting our overall goal to restore salmon habitat in Lake Washington using a strategic and comprehensive planning and assessment approach.

Timeframe:

This is a 7 to 10-year initiative, beginning (with planning) in 1999. We've been in the implementation stage for the past several years.

Annual program budget:

Annual budgets vary but average $200,000 per year.

Funding sources/partnerships and type of support provided:

Recent voter-approved property tax levies have made possible new community centers, new pools, 600 acres of added open space, and improved recreation programs and maintenance.

Results achieved/impact:

See Seattle Shoreline Park Inventory and Habitat Assessment here [PDF].

Lessons learned:


	Seattle Parks and Recreation and the King Conservation District add gravel and stones to the shoreline on Lake Washington at Martha Washington Park to improve the nearshore habitat for migrating salmon. Woody debris was also brought in to provide "shelter" for resting fish.

We assembled and relied on best available science; created a transparent decision-making process; engaged key partners early; and completed on-the-ground improvements as soon as possible to show progress.

Ask the Expert:

Name: Kevin Stoops, Seattle Parks and Recreation Planning Manager
E-mail: kevin.stoops@seattle.gov
Date submitted: October 14, 2005

Contact Information:

Organization: Seattle Parks and Recreation
Address: 100 Dexter Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109

Tel/Fax: 206-684-8020
E-mail: David.Takami@Seattle.Gov
Web site address: http://www.seattle.gov/parks

Photos courtesy of Seattle Parks and Recreation

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