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Week of Oct. 9, 2006
Counting bugs helps gauge the health of county roads
 It’s a way of making sure mother nature is still happy after the human hand has come and gone. There are over 2,200 locations around the county where roads and streams meet that could potentially impact the aquatic ecosystems that surround so many of our roads.
How does the King County Road Services Division measure human impact on those ecosystems? One way is - Road Division staffers turn to some of the smallest life forms there are. They count the macro-invertebrates – or more commonly known as bugs in our local streams.
Crews are always looking for proactive tools to help them identify potential connections between a road’s physical presence and the health of the surrounding environment.
In recent years, they’ve learned that insects can be a powerful ally in that effort. The macro-invertebrates they monitor include insects, annelids, mollusks, flatworms and crustaceans. They monitor these groups because of the diversity of life they represent. Some of these bugs flourish in healthy ecosystems and survive poorly in a highly degraded systems, while others can survive virtually anywhere. For years, fly fisherman have used this tool too; surveying the stream for a hot spot where both bugs (caddis, stone and may flies) and salmon may frequent.
There are 86 streams typically monitored by Roads crews, but the number of streams crews were able to test this fall was down due to our dry summer. They normally get samples for all of them, but in the 2006 stream survey, 10 of those will not have any data. Rob Fritz, a supervising ecologist with Roads says he and other crew members need to visit the creek at the right time to have sufficient water and the right testing conditions. He says this year’s lack of water has hampered the effort.
Despite the lack of data, road workers will still have some good information on the health of many streams come spring. Every stream will be given a score. Road crews will then have some new tools that can serve as an early warning system for problems ranging from erosion upstream, blockage of a catch basin or slope failure – problems that may be uncovered much earlier – thanks to the bugs.
King County’s semi-annual equipment auction featuring dozens of cars, trucks, vans, and pieces of heavy equipment will be held this Saturday, Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. in Renton.
The popular auction hosted by the Department of Transportation’s Fleet Administration Division will be held at 3005 NE Fourth Street, near the Renton Technical College. A preview will be held Thursday and Friday, Oct. 12 and 13, at the auction site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Saturday starting at 8 a.m. This fall’s auction features a variety of vehicles, landscape equipment, and even retired ballfield lights from Marymoor Park. A more complete preliminary list of auction items is available online, along with driving directions and auction terms.
On Saturday, the University of Washington will host Oregon State at 3:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium. photo: UW HuskiesThe Huskies will be offering free Metro service to the stadium. In addition to regular bus service to and from campus, there is also special shuttle service between the stadium and eight park-and-ride lots: Shoreline; Northgate Transit Center; Houghton; Kingsgate; South Kirkland; Eastgate; South Renton; and Federal Way. See Metro Online for all the details. |
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Metro is offering both regular and special transit service to the Seattle Fall Home Show [external link] this weekend at the Qwest Field Events Center. The show opens on Thursday, Oct. 12 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 15. Show-goers should use regular Metro service to get to the center on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, October 14 and 15, Metro offers regular weekend service and free non-stop shuttles every half hour to and from the Northgate, South Bellevue and South Renton park-and ride lots. Visit Metro Online all the details about service to the event.
Take a trip back in time on a historic bus to go leaf peeping for fall color this Sunday. photo: fall colorsThe Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA) [external link] is hosting a 4-hour trip through the Cascade foothills along the quiet back roads of east King County to view the autumn leaves turning color. There will be stops for photos and lunch. The buses depart Sunday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. from the intersection of Second Avenue and Main Street in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Fares are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (65 and over), and $4 for children (2-11). Metro transfers, tickets, or passes are not accepted. Please, do not bring food or beverages onboard the historic buses. |
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