Get connected to clean water and family fun at the Duwamish River Festival on Aug. 12

Community members of all ages are invited to Seattle's South Park neighborhood this Saturday for fun, entertainment, and information about what King County is doing to protect and improve water quality in the Duwamish River.

King County is one of several agencies and community groups organizing and supporting this year's Duwamish River Festival, which takes place on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Duwamish River Park, 7900 10th Ave. S., Seattle.

The festival is an opportunity for community members to learn about the Duwamish Superfund cleanup in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere.

The free event will feature food, prizes, kids' activities, kayak tours on the lower Duwamish, environmental health information, demonstrations on natural yard care, and news about community grant funding opportunities. Information will be available in both English and Spanish.

Entertainment will be provided by Mexican folk dance group Guelaguetza, the Duwamish Tribal Dancers and D.J. El Gorra Prieta. There will also be live music from Lady “A” & the Baby Blues Funk Band, the Brian Marshall Project and a special appearance by Bert the Salmon.

A free water taxi will be available to take festival goers between Gateway Park North in Georgetown to Duwamish River Park throughout the event.

Under way since 2000, the goal of the Duwamish Superfund cleanup is to remove contaminated sediments caused by decades of industrial uses and wastewater discharges, and to protect the health of people and the environment.

This year's program sponsors and organizers also include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the Washington State Department of Ecology; the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and King County, City of Seattle, Port of Seattle, Boeing, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle and King County Public Health, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Green Duwamish Central Puget Sound Watershed, Alki Kayak Tours, and Global Diving and Salvage.

For more information, please visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/duwamish/events.htm or call Dana West in the King County Industrial Waste Program at 206-263-3018 or 711 TTY.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.