2009 DNRP archived news releases

Lake Sammamish kokanee get hatchery boost to keep rare fish population from extinction
Fifty years ago, Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon were so plentiful that their numbers supported a robust recreational lake fishery and painted the spawning streams in a vivid red from their crimson-colored flanks. Kokanee helped form the basis of a vibrant ecosystem that sustained a wide array of other fish and wildlife species.

Don’t let used cooking oil go to waste!
What’s cooking for that leftover kitchen grease after your Thanksgiving feast? Perhaps a second life as a local source of sustainably refined biodiesel fuel!

County funding for BNSF Eastside rail corridor proposed
Approximately 25 miles of the BNSF Eastside rail corridor will be put in public ownership in perpetuity under a $26 million funding proposal transmitted today by King County Executive Kurt Triplett to the King County Council for approval.

North Bend receives funding for high-risk flood areas
North Bend neighborhoods will receive much-needed flood mitigation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) this winter. The federal funds will be used to elevate or buy out homes in high-risk flood areas to prevent future loss and damage.

Minor flooding along Tolt, Snoqualmie as King County monitoring rain-swollen rivers
Continued rainfall across eastern King County has brought the Tolt River into a Phase II flood alert level Tuesday morning, with minor flooding expected in the watershed.

King County Flood Warning Center closes as rivers recede following minor flooding
King County closed its Flood Warning Center at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday following a brief period of high flows along the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers.

King County Flood Warning Center opens to monitor minor Snoqualmie River flooding
The King County Flood Warning Center opened early Tuesday morning, Nov. 17, to monitor rising flows on the Snoqualmie River because of persistent rainfall in the area.

Fertile King County farmland returns to its roots, as much-needed soccer fields are built nearby
Some of the best, fertile Sammamish Valley farmland will once again produce fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs under permanent protection, while new soccer fields needed for thousands of young players will be built nearby under an agreement announced today by King County Executive Kurt Triplett.

King County adds new alert system to public safety tools for flood season
King County residents and business owners have a new tool available to them this fall that can help them stay safer during flood season: A new, automated flood alert system is now available and provides real-time messages by phone, text or e-mail warning of potential high water on more than a half-dozen rivers.

Celebrate sanitation on ‘World Toilet Day’
County offers free treatment plant tours, Nov. 19 Potty humor might get laughs, but inadequate sanitation is a serious matter to the 2.5 billion people who lack access to proper toilets and safe sewage treatment.