Duwamish Alive! activities at Cecil B. Moses Park

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Annie Kolb-Nelson

The Nature Intrudes blog covers the incredible restoration work at Cecil B. Moses Park carried out by dedicated volunteers as part of the Duwamish Alive! celebration. 2015-10-17-13.02.14

King County Parks held a work party in Cecil Moses Park, located at the north end of the Green River Trail, which travels along the shore of the Duwamish River for 19 miles, to the North Green River Park in Kent. Cecil Moses is located at an important transition point in the river, where tidal influences mix the fresh water of the river and the salt water of Puget Sound. Young salmon pause here on their way to the ocean to acclimate themselves to salt water. Cecil Moses is also located close to North Winds Weir, an important historical location to members of the Duwamish tribe.

Read the complete article here.

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Story of the Green Duwamish Watershed: Mark Powell’s #SwimDuwamish

Posted on September 18, 2015 by kcdnrp

Mark Powell, alone and sometimes with guests, has been swimming the entire 85-mile length of the Green-Duwamish River a few miles at a time since last month. The swims are part of a campaign to tell the full story of the Green-Duwamish River – and helping draw the connection between the health of the river and the health of Puget Sound.

A view upstream of the Duwamish River from South Park Bridge.
A view upstream of the Duwamish River from South Park Bridge.
North Wind’s Weir is a popular fishing spot. Pink salmon swim upstream from the Puget Sound to spawn every other year. This year's run has been promising.
North Wind’s Weir is a popular fishing spot. Pink salmon swim upstream from the Puget Sound to spawn every other year. This year’s run has been promising.
A King County habitat restoration site was one of Mark Powell's Green-Duwamish ‘Swim Up’ locations.
A King County habitat restoration site was one of Mark Powell’s Green-Duwamish ‘Swim Up’ locations.
King County and numerous partners have completed extensive habitat restoration projects at North Wind’s Weir, creating 2-½ acres of high quality habitat for juvenile salmon on the Duwamish River, and benefiting migrating adult salmon, shorebirds, and other fish and wildlife. Miller-Walker Basin Steward, Elissa Ostergaard and Land King County Conservation Program Manager, Michael Murphy speak with Mark Powell about the nooks and crannies where fish can rest at the restoration site.
King County and numerous partners have completed extensive habitat restoration projects at North Wind’s Weir, creating 2-½ acres of high quality habitat for juvenile salmon on the Duwamish River, and benefiting migrating adult salmon, shorebirds, and other fish and wildlife. Miller-Walker Basin Steward, Elissa Ostergaard and Land King County Conservation Program Manager, Michael Murphy speak with Mark Powell about the nooks and crannies where fish can rest at the restoration site.
Plunging back in for the 3-mile swim downstream to the South Park Bridge.
Plunging back in for the 3-mile swim downstream to the South Park Bridge.
Mark Powell (middle) has had a couple of guest swimmers come out and join him, including Josh Baldi (left), the Regional Director of Northwest Washington for the Department of Ecology and Dennis Robertson (right), Councilmember for the City of Tukwila. Having friends out there on and in the water with him has been fantastic and makes swimming that much better!
Mark Powell (middle) has had a couple of guest swimmers come out and join him, including Josh Baldi (left), the Regional Director of Northwest Washington for the Department of Ecology and Dennis Robertson (right), Councilmember for the City of Tukwila. Having friends out there on and in the water with him has been fantastic and makes swimming that much better!
How's the water? Josh Baldi (right), the Regional Director of Northwest Washington for the Department of Ecology and Dennis Robertson (center), Councilmember for the City of Tukwila joined Mark Powell (left) during the swim near North Wind's Weir.
How’s the water? Josh Baldi (right), the Regional Director of Northwest Washington for the Department of Ecology and Dennis Robertson (center), Councilmember for the City of Tukwila joined Mark Powell (left) during the swim near North Wind’s Weir.
North Winds Weir is an important restoration site. This unique geologic feature is a rocky shelf across the Duwamish that creates vital habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species, including both juvenile salmon that are headed downstream to Puget Sound, as well as adult salmon that are moving upstream to the spawning grounds.
North Winds Weir is an important restoration site. This unique geologic feature is a rocky shelf across the Duwamish that creates vital habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species, including both juvenile salmon that are headed downstream to Puget Sound, as well as adult salmon that are moving upstream to the spawning grounds.
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Listening phase recap

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Annie Kolb-Nelson

The Our Green/Duwamish Team has been very busy during the project’s Listening PIMG_0220hase.

The Listening Phase represents the first steps in the three-phase process to develop a watershed strategy for the Green/Duwamish Watershed, connecting many ongoing efforts in a more comprehensive way. The Listening Phase has included focus groups, open houses, and an online survey. The primary goal has been collecting insights from those who know the watershed, gathering contextual information and data for the Green/Duwamish Watershed, and identifying potential actions to be taken to enhance its air, land, and water resources.

Focus Groups: The Our Green/Duwamish Team hosted a series of four focus group sessions in June and July. The sessions were an opportunity for the Team to hear from individuals and organizations with Green/Duwamish expertise. The four sessions were organized around the regional challenges identified in the ROSS approach as they relate to this watershed: biodiversity, social equity & human health, climate change, and the economy. The sessions were very P1000332informative and the ROSS team heard many recommendations that will be captured in the Preliminary Background Report for the Green/Duwamish Watershed. Thank you very much to those of you who participated!

Open Houses: The ROSS team assembled information gleaned from the focus groups and earlier research, and went to the broader community for additional input. Three sub-watershed-specific open houses were held in June and July to hear the thoughts of those familiar with conditions and concerns across the Green/Duwamish sub-watersheds.

The first open house was held at Camp Long in West Seattle on June 30, and focused on the Duwamish Estuary & Nearshore sub-watersheds. The open house for the Middle and Upper Green sub-watersheds was held on July 8 in Maple Valley at the Lake Wilderness Lodge, and the final open house was held on July 14 at Kent Station, addressing the Lower Green sub-watershed. The events generated great conversations: the ROSS team heard from community leaders, city council members, government agency leaders, and organizational representatives about what they value in the Green/Duwamish sub-watersheds, and about air, land, and water issues seen as pressing concerns.

Thank you to Green/Duwamish Watershed Advisory Group members for spreading the word about the open houses, and special thanks to those of you who attended and shared your perspectives and knowledge during some beautiful summer evenings.P1000325

On-Line Activities:  Since July, we have activated several new online tools to support the Green/Duwamish Watershed Strategy. In early July, the Our Green/Duwamish project website went live. The website aims to engage the broader community in the project and to provide news and updates as we work together to develop the watershed strategy. On July 15, an online survey opened, asking participants to comment on the threats and opportunities regarding air, land, and water resources within the Green/Duwamish Watershed. The survey is still active, and we would love to get your input. Many thanks to those who have participated already!

Summary Report: The comments, suggestions, and information gathered throughout the Listening Phase will be compiled into a Summary Report of the Key Findings. Stay tuned for this in the months to come.

And many thanks to all who continue to work toward a connected and thriving Green/Duwamish Watershed.

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Help shape the future

Posted on July 14, 2015 by kcdnrp

1507_4963_Duwamish_Green_WebBUTTONlargeWe would love to hear your thoughts on the Green-Duwamish Watershed, as one of the primary goals of this project is to engage the community in crafting this vision and strategy.

Please follow this link to take the brief survey and help shape the future of the Green-Duwamish Watershed for decades to come!

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Enthusiasm, fresh ideas energize first open house

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Annie Kolb-Nelson

There was a great turnout for the first P1000332Our Green/Duwamish open house on June 30 at the Camp Long Environmental Learning Center in West Seattle. Participants visited six information stations and shared their energy and ideas with representatives from King County and the UW Green Futures Lab.

People are also invited to two additional open houses set for July 8 and July 14

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Swim the Duwamish with Mark Powell

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Annie Kolb-Nelson

Swim the 85-mile length of the Green and Duwamish rivers —without getting wet!  Over the next few months, Washington Environmental Council’s Mark Powell will share his underwater adventures through a series of breathtaking videos.

Follow Mark’s Swim Duwamish blog to visit places and dive into issues that will shape the river’s future, and learn how you can make your voice heard to restore these waters and protect Puget Sound.

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Together we prosper! Watch this ‘Green the Green’ video and be inspired

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Annie Kolb-Nelson

The Green/Duwamish Watershed stretches from Elliott Bay to the foothills of Mount Rainier. Six hundred square miles, 16 cities and 700,000 people strong, this spectacular resource is the subject of “Green The Green”, a three-minute video that highlights the beauty and diversity of our watershed and the people who live in it. It’s also a great opportunity to see the faces of the community behind our restoration work.

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A brief intro to the ‘ROSS’ Approach

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Annie Kolb-Nelson

The Green/Duwamish Watershed isn’t a series of isolated parts — river, uplands and habitats — it’s one connected whole. Our approach to protecting theCavanaugh Pond entire Watershed should be just as connected.

The Our Green/Duwamish project was initiated in 2014 by King County and City of Seattle to coordinate the work already being done by local, state, and federal agencies to manage habitat restoration, salmon recovery, flood control, public health, economic development, and more.

The Regional Open Space Strategy (ROSS) Team currently at the University of Washington is also playing a lead role in developing the Our Green/Duwamish project.

The innovative ROSS approach involves convening decision-makers, planners, businesses, and individuals with the power to make smart, regional-based decisions to support open space in the Central Puget Sound. ROSS is part of a growing national movement to invest in a more comprehensive approach to regional planning that explores how our investments in natural systems support a broad set of community objectives beyond land conservation and habitat protection.

Here in our area, ROSS is focused on identifying priorities and solutions for five key challenges:

  • Climate change
  • Biodiversity
  • Social equity
  • Human health
  • Economic Development

Learn more about the Regional Open Space Strategy (ROSS) framework online.

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Shape the future! Come to an open house on the Green/Duwamish Watershed

Posted on June 26, 2015 by kcdnrp

King County, the City of Seattle and the Regional Open Space Strategy (ROSS) Team seek your expertise and views on a strategy to create a healthy, prosperous future in the Green/Duwamish Watershed.

Your participation is vital! It will lead us to greater understanding of current projects, priorities and plans in the watershed, and ensure we develop a framework to support better outcomes for local cities, forests, farms, rivers, diverse communities, and Washington State’s industrial core.

Meetings take place from 5 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 8 — Middle and Upper Green River Watershed
Lake Wilderness Lodge
22500 SE 248th Street
Maple Valley, WA 98038

Tuesday July 14 –Lower Green Watershed
Green River Community College  Kent Campus
417 Ramsay Way, Suite 112
Kent, WA 98032

Short presentations at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. will ensure everyone gets an overview of this exciting opportunity.

Participants will be able to visit several information stations, and meet one-on-one with strategy representatives to ask questions and share feedback:

  • What priorities are not currently represented in our maps and fact sheets?
  • What are aspirations for the Green/Duwamish Watershed communities?
  • What are the threats to healthy air, water, land and people in the Watershed?
  • Where and what are the opportunities for the Green Duwamish Watershed Strategy to create a robust, connected open space system?

For more information, please call Paige Myers in King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks at 206-477-4551 or email paige.myers@kingcounty.gov.

Can’t make the meetings? Stay tuned for additional opportunities to participate in an online open house! For more detail about the Green/Duwamish Watershed Strategy, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/greenduwamish.

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