Criteria for eligible projects and activities
King County Flood Control District Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund

Consistent with the authority granted in state statute, Flood Control District Resolution 2008-10.2 established the criteria for eligible projects and activities under the Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund.

• Funds can be spent for flood control, stormwater control and cooperative watershed management projects.
• Funds spent on watershed management projects consisting of salmon habitat protection projects must be linked to the construction of a flood or stormwater project.
• The authority to spend Flood District funds for flood control and stormwater control is provided in RCW 86.15.110* , and RCW 86.15.035* adds the watershed management category, which is linked to RCW 39.34.190*.

An explanation of each of the eligible categories follows:

1. Flood control improvements may be extended, enlarged, acquired or constructed, provided a comprehensive plan of development for flood control has been developed and the improvement contributes to the objectives of that plan and the plan has been submitted to and approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology. See RCW 86.15.110 (1) and (2).**
2. Stormwater control improvements may be extended, enlarged, acquired or constructed, provided a comprehensive plan for stormwater control has been prepared for the area and the improvement is consistent with the stormwater plan. See RCW 86.15.110 (1) and (2).**
3. Watershed management projects identified in watershed management partnerships or other intergovernmental agreements for the purposes of water supply, water quality, and water resource and habitat protection and management. See RCW 86.15.035*. The Board of Supervisors has directed that projects in this category that consist of salmon habitat protection projects must demonstrate a link to flooding or stormwater projects. This third category ties into RCW 39.34.190 - .200*, and under these statutory provisions, up to 10 percent of District revenues (the equivalent of the amount of the Opportunity Fund) may be used for the implementation of watershed management plans, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Watershed plans developed under chapter 90.82 RCW*;
• Salmon recovery plans developed under chapter 77.85 RCW*;
• Watershed management elements of comprehensive land use plans developed under the Growth Management Act, chapter 36.70A RCW*;
• Watershed management elements of shoreline master programs developed under the Shoreline Management Act, chapter 90.58 RCW*;
• Nonpoint pollution action plans developed under the Puget Sound water quality management planning authorities of chapter 90.71 RCW* and chapter 400-12 WAC*;
• Other comprehensive management plans addressing watershed health at a WRIA level* or sub-WRIA basin level;
• Coordinated water system plans under chapter 70.116 RCW* and similar regional plans for water supply; and
• Any combination of the foregoing plans in an integrated watershed management plan.

*External link.
** In categories (1) and (2) above, construction improvements require the development of preliminary engineering studies and plans, and such studies and plans must be on file with the King County River and Floodplain Management Section, which functions as the service provider to the District. For all projects, cost estimates and underlying data must be provided, and the benefit provided by the improvement must be described. See RCW 86.15.110 (3), (4) and (5)*.