Projects dedicated to protecting lives and reducing risks of flood damages in the greater Renton area received a boost with today’s unanimous adoption of the 2017 King County Flood Control District (FCD) Budget.
Flood District Chair Reagan Dunn and District Vice Chair Dave Upthegrove announced Renton area projects that will receive funding as part of the adopted $71.5 million budget. Projects include ongoing funding for the sediment removal of the lower Cedar River, the Cedar River Corridor Plan, and assessing landslide risk around the Maplewood area.
“I am proud of the collaborative relationship between the King County Flood Control District and the City of Renton,” Dunn said in a press release. “I look forward to seeing these projects move forward that protect residents and businesses in the Greater Renton community.”
“I’m proud to support this budget because it prioritizes keeping people safe and also manages to restore habitat for salmon and other wildlife,” said Upthegrove. “By our vote today, we are continuing the important work of removing sediment from the lower Cedar River to reduce flood risk in and around Renton.”
Earlier this year, the City of Renton started a project funded by the King County Flood Control District to remove accumulated sediment from the lower Cedar River in order to reduce the risk of seasonal flooding.
More than $774,000 from the FCD budget will go toward finishing the removal of gravel along 1.25 miles of the lower Cedar River in order to maintain 100-year flood protection for nearby homes and businesses including the Renton Airport, the Boeing Company’s Renton facility.
“We appreciate Councilmember Reagan Dunn’s leadership with the King County Flood Control District and the recent funding Renton received for maintenance and dredging of the Cedar River,” Renton Mayor Denis Law said. “It is very important for the continued economic vitality of our area and the safety of our residents that the district fund upcoming Renton area flood projects including the landslide study for Maplewood estates, Cedar River maintenance, and work on the horseshoe bend levee.”
The King County Flood Control District Budget also sets aside approximately $630,000 to go towards implementing the Cedar River Corridor Plan, which focuses on long-range strategies for reducing flood risks and improving habitat for salmon. Work for 2017 includes planning for the repair and replacement of a Cedar River levee and funding a study to assess landslide risks around the Maplewood Neighborhood thanks to Dunn and Vice-Chair Upthegrove, who advocated for the project to be included in the FCD’s Budget.
More than 40 homes within the Maplewood Neighborhood are located in a severe channel migration zone, thus prone to landslide hazards from the steep slopes on the opposite river bank. A study will assess the landslide risk and will evaluate whether further steps are necessary in order to reduce the risk of flooding and landslides to the homes in the Maplewood Neighborhood.
