King County to enhance streams at Brightwater site with fallen trees from highway project

2005 Archived News

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division is planning to restore salmon habitat with trees removed for a state highway-widening project along the site of the future Brightwater Treatment Plant.

Crews for the Snohomish County Public Utility District will be removing trees to make room for the state Department of Transportation's State Route 9 widening project. Removing the trees is necessary for moving utility poles along SR-9 north of Woodinville. Some tree removal could start as early as next week.

King County will use about 50 of the downed trees as large woody debris to enhance streams and wetlands in more than 40 acres of open-space habitat at the Brightwater site. Large trees with root wads still attached are useful for providing shade and habitat in salmon-bearing streams. Also, branches and smaller debris will be chipped and stored on site for use as mulch.

For more information about the Brightwater project, visit the project Web site or call 206-684-6799 (1-888-707-8571, toll-free). For more information about the state's SR-9 widening project, visit the project Web site.

When Brightwater begins operating in 2010, it will serve Bothell, Brier, Kenmore, Mill Creek, Redmond, Sammamish and Woodinville. It will also serve unincorporated areas of Snohomish and King counties in the Alderwood, Cross Valley, Northeast Sammamish, Northshore, Silver Lake and Woodinville sewer districts.

Formerly known as Metro, the wastewater-treatment utility now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for 40 years. The regional clean-water agency serves 17 cities, 17 local sewer agencies and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.