Stream/Habitat Restoration

The City of Issaquah has an active program to acquire lands and restore stream and riparian areas along area streams. This follows a long tradition of the City and community recognizing the importance of preserving properties along streams and restoring functional fish habitat.

Restoration Plans

The following plans help guide the restoration of streams, riparian areas, and wetland in and around Issaquah:

More information on regional salmon and habitat restoration efforts, as well as the science of salmon recovery, can be found on King County's website.

The City is actively involved in the implementation of WRIA 8 Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan, the goal of which is to restore and protect habitat that salmon need to survive in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed.

Resources

The City of Issaquah works to identify opportunities for ecological enhancement. The Issaquah Riparian Characterization Report, published in 2024, focused on Type F creeks—waterways that support fish habitat—by dividing them into distinct reaches and evaluating their ecological characteristics.

Partners in Restoration

In most cases, acquisition of property for open space, and construction of stream restoration projects, was not possible without funding help from the following state and local grant agencies:

  • Snoqualmie Tribe
  • King Conservation District
  • King County Waterworks Grant Fund
  • King County Conservation Futures Tax (CFT)
  • King County Flood Control District
  • State Department of Ecology Centennial Clean Water Fund
  • State of Washington Recreation and Conservation Office (Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Puget Sound Acquisition and Recreation grants)
  • National Fish and Wildlife Federation

Local property owners, such as Rowley Properties and the Pickering Place Association, have also taken the lead on significant open space and stream restoration projects.

Another key partner is the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. Since the early 2000s, the Greenway Trust has assisted the City with organizing volunteer planting events; arranging for conservation crews to help remove invasive vegetation and install native plants; providing post-construction maintenance and monitoring; and project planning.