King County Buys Bear Creek Land To Improve Salmon Habitat

REDMOND, WA — King County has purchased 7.6 acres along the Bear Creek watershed to help preserve, protect and improve one of Puget Sound's most fertile salmon habitats. Bear Creek flows for more than 12 miles from Paradise Lake and joins the Sammamish River just north of Marymoor Park in Redmond.

According to the county, the creek is an essential spawning ground for salmon, including that Chinook that southern resident orcas rely on for survival. Young salmon migrate into the Sammamish River, eventually reaching Puget Sound via the Ballard Locks.

"Permanently protecting habitat and open space in the Bear Creek watershed demonstrates our ability to achieve multiple benefits with a single acquisition," Constantine said. "We will build on the community's legacy of environmental stewardship by restoring one of the most productive salmon-bearing systems in our rapidly urbanizing region, improving quality and increasing public access to a spectacular natural area."

According to Constantine's office, several landowners and organizations volunteered to sell parcels to help the county's restoration efforts. A project planned on a piece of land sold by the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center will improve the water temperatures along Avondale Road.

"Degraded water quality poses a risk to critical salmon habitat," officials wrote. "More pollutants entering Bear Creek as a result of development in the watershed, with more rain falling on impervious surfaces and washing motor oil, metals and pesticides directly into streams. The increase in stormwater pollution is a growing threat to water quality and salmon habitat throughout the region."

Other property around Bear Creek, previously owned by the Hussey family for generations, will allow the county to restore the watershed to its natural state, officials said.

"When we considered selling the farm property, our first thoughts were two-fold: Honor the wishes of the original owner to share the land with the community, and preserve its natural assets, the habitat and salmon stream," said Leon and Linda Hussey. "Instinctively, we knew King County would do just that."

A 2018 study outlined several recommendations to retrofit the watershed's infrastructure, making it more hospitable for salmon and the public.

"Installing green stormwater infrastructure — such as raingardens and cisterns — achieves multiple benefits, including increased public access to green space, better salmon habitat, water quality and flow control for receiving creeks, wetlands and ultimately, Puget Sound," officials wrote. "Technical and financial assistance are available to residents and non-profit organizations who would like to partner in the effort to protect and restore water quality and habitat in Bear Creek."

Learn more about the Bear Creek restoration effort on the county executive's website.