Desimone Levee Planting
Microsoft employees volunteer to improve fish and wildlife habitat

Nearly one hundred Microsoft employees, organized through the United Way of King County Day of Caring (September 13, 2002), volunteered to help reduce the risk of major flood damage and improve fish and wildlife habitat damage in the lower Green River Valley.

The Microsoft volunteers broke a good sweat (as well as a few hand tools) under the hot sun as they planted their way along a quarter-mile segment of the Desimone levee. Within six hours, the volunteers, aided by young adults from the Earthcorps program, planted 3,420 native plants -- a number that exceeded the wildest expectations of the King County project managers.

Microsoft Employees working on the levee (put mouse on photo to see larger)

King County hopes to continue to use volunteer groups to help complete a series of seven projects that will stabilize riverbanks at seven locations on the lower Green River. These projects include the addition or replacement of large rock along the riverbank and large logs for fish habitat. Also, blackberry- and grass-covered banks will be replaced with a diverse community of native plants. Native vegetation helps reduce erosion and thus the risk of flooding. The native plants also provide more diverse shoreline habitat for both fish and wildlife, and will eventually provide shade to help keep the river cool for salmonids.

Currently, King County is working to complete seven bank stabilization projects on the lower Green River. Two of the seven projects, one in Kent and one in Tukwila, will be completed in 2002. King County Department of Transportation crews finished the heavy construction work on both projects during July and August. The Microsoft volunteers helped finish the project in Tukwila. Additional volunteer planting events on October 15 and October 26 should result in the completion of both projects.

The Green River Flood Control Zone District, and the project team, would like to thank these hard working volunteers, as well as Earthcorps, for their efforts to improve the riverbank for fish and wildlife along this critical levee and popular recreational trail.

For information about volunteer opportunities on King County's flood control facilities contact John Koon at 206-296-8062.