The King County Water and Land Resources Division proposes to enhance the channel of Boise Creek upstream of 268th St. and to enhance degraded wetland habitat nearby.

The channel will be widened by re-contouring the south bank, placing large woody debris (LWD) in the channel and wetlands and planting willows and other native riparian plants across the project site to provide shade, improve water quality and improve habitat within the wetland.

The project work will promote formation of more complex stream and wetland habitat, and create a multi-threaded channel. The widened channel will allow natural stream processes to create rearing and refuge habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, which are listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The widened channel will reduce water velocities and erosional forces and reduce bank erosion. The LWD and willow clusters will encourage the development of scour pools and other diverse aquatic habitats, while simultaneously reducing streambank erosion in the reach.

Project documents

• Boise Creek Restoration Project results  (7.1 Mb)
• Middle Boise Creek - Evans Habitat Restoration Project Year 4 (2017) Monitoring Report (2.53 Mb)

For more information about the Middle Boise Creek Channel Restoration Project, please contact Laird O'Rollins, ecologist, Water and Land Resources Division Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services Unit.