The King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved grants aimed at reducing the impacts of local flooding. The funds dispersed to cities throughout the Flood Control District, including Renton, are from a newly created grant program that focuses on flood prevention as well as flood mitigation.

“With abundant rainfall, flooding doesn’t just occur along our major rivers, but throughout communities in King County,” said Reagan Dunn, Chair of the King County Flood Control District, in a press release. “These grants help address a number of localized flooding issues that will positively impact communities throughout the county.”

“This grant money supports smaller cities that often cannot pay for important flood reduction projects,” said Supervisor Dave Upthegrove. “It is great that the District can help these cities address local flooding problems.”

“I’m very happy that we are able to support efforts to both prevent and mitigate flooding,” said Supervisor Kathy Lambert. “These grants will be well used to achieve those goals across the area in the Flood Control District.”

The new grant program targets flood reduction projects throughout King County. A total of $2.6 million in grants were available for 2014, with the funds being awarded on a competitive basis by the Flood Control District. Eligible applicants included homeowner associations, private non-profit organizations or associations, schools, special districts, tribes and King County jurisdictions. Funded projects must be completed within 36 months of receiving funds.

The City of Renton will receive $200,000 to replace two failed stormwater outfalls with a single outfall that discharges to Maplewood Creek.

The Fairwood West Homeowners Association will also receive $400,000 to assist in the replacement and repair of a failing pipe segment conveying Molasses Creek under the HOA Park.

The list of adopted projects include:

City of Covington—$176,000: For the City of Covington’s Clements/SE 263rd Pl Stormwater Conveyance improvement Project. The project will replace an undersized, homeowner installed drainage system that conveys municipal surface water to Big Soos Creek. This area has experienced flooding and maintenance issues in this area for some time. The new drainage system will work to alleviate those flooding issues.

City of Des Moines—$200,000: For the Lower Massey Creek Channel Modification Project. The project location floods every 3-to-5 years, severely impacting traffic at the junction of two state highways as well as local businesses within downtown Des Moines. This project will significantly reduce the frequency of flooding and if flooding does occur, minimize the time of closure of the intersection. The project includes the construction of a floodwall, earth berm, channel widening and the installation of a pump station.

Fairwood West Homeowners Association—$400,000: The Fairwood West HOA, Molasses Creek Pipe Repair at Fairwood West HOA Park will use the grant to assist in the replacement and repair of a failing pipe segment conveying Molasses Creek under the HOA Park. Total pipe failure could lead to flooding upstream and increased sedimentation downstream.

City of Kenmore—$330,000: For the NE 192nd St Culvert Replacement. Little Swamp Creek regularly exceeds the current capacity of the existing culvert and floods over the roadway of NE 192nd St. The City is looking to install a culvert to eliminate the flooding at this location. The culvert must be fish‐passable to meet state Department of Fish and Wildlife requirements.

City of Kirkland—$300,000: Totem Lake flood control. Poor drainage in the Totem Lake area causes seasonal flooding, both across Totem Lake Boulevard and 120th Avenue NE, and into surrounding properties. This project entails the identification and removal of obstructions and restrictions that slow or block drainage and downstream flow of surface and storm water out of the Totem Lake area and significantly contribute to the frequency and intensity of flooding events.

Lake Geneva Property Owners Assoc. (LGPOA)—$36,358: Will be used to determine existing lake conditions enabling LGPOA to prepare a lake management plan and calculate the annual cost to repair and/or maintain Lake Geneva over a period of years.

City of Newcastle—$255,000: Lake Boren flooding mitigation project. The project will improve the outlet channel by clearing and removing any overflow blockages at Boren Creek. Newcastle also plans to acquire 3.7 acres of land, which includes the outlet and critical areas, such as stream, wetland and buffers. An unpermitted bridge, which impedes flow, will also be removed.

City of Pacific—$32,000: City Park flood barrier reconstruction. The purpose of the project funds is to reimburse the County Flood Control District for the opening and closing of the City Park in the City of Pacific. The facility is used for potential flood mitigation and requires isolation in the form of HESCO barriers.

City of Renton—$200,000: Maplewood Creek project. Replacing two failed stormwater outfalls with a single outfall that discharges to Maplewood Creek. Both outfalls convey runoff from the Heather Downs subdivision to the east down a steep ravine to Maplewood Creek.

Stewardship Partners—$11,000: For the Snoqualmie Valley Rain Garden Initiative, phase 1. The goal of this project is to reduce flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley by significantly reducing stormwater flows coming from the impervious surfaces in developed areas in the Valley. Stewardship Partners will collaborate with Snoqualmie Elementary School, Mt. Si High School, the City of Snoqualmie and a host of others to install one demonstration garden at Snoqualmie Elementary School and a cluster of 8 rain gardens in the nearby neighborhood.

King Conservation District—$250,000: For an agricultural drainage project that will develop and implement a comprehensive set of drainage-related services for agricultural landowners, including community outreach, matching grants, equipment loans, technical assistance, and project monitoring. Priorities will include promoting increased participation in the King County Agricultural Drainage Assistance Program (ADAP), targeted outreach to Hmong and other traditionally disadvantaged farmers, and assistance with permitting and implementing manual drainage projects, culvert replacement, and vegetation management plans.

King County Roads Division—$81,000: For the installation of beaver deceivers at four sites with high beaver activity (that require on-going maintenance). These projects will: minimize the potential for a catastrophic flooding event, reduce the amount of resources needed to routinely maintain the dams and affected culverts, and eliminate specific impacts to road infrastructure (closure and repairs).

King County Water and Land Resources Division: Unincorporated and Rural Areas—three total grants:

• $260,280 for the Wilderness Rim Phase 3 acquisition to purchase and demolish a frequently flooded home in a closed depression and use area for additional flood storage.

• $93,000 for the Alluvial fan demonstration projects. This project will construct up to two sediment management facilities on developed alluvial fans. The project requires adoption of a demonstration project ordinance currently at King County Council for consideration.

• $40,000 for agricultural field drainage tiles. This grant will Partner with the King County Agricultural Drainage Assistance Program (ADAP) and the Stormwater Services Section Engineering Studies Program to construct approximately 1,850 linear feet of new agricultural field drainage tiles on two separate properties in unincorporated King County and document the permitting process required for new field tiles.