As we approach the new year, we’re looking back at what our department achieved in 2025, an unforgettable year. Thank you to all of our employees and partners who made each of these achievements possible for the people, fish, and wildlife of King County.
24/7 emergency response to historic flooding: Keeping people safe while protecting homes, infrastructure, and water quality
Our entire workforce contributed to the coordinated emergency response to the catastrophic flooding that occurred in December, one of the largest natural disasters in in King County’s history.
Our on-the-ground Flood Patrol provided real-time assessments that helped our staff and partners reinforce levees before they broke and mobilize rapid repairs if they breached. Our Wastewater Treatment Division treated more than 2 billion gallons of wastewater during the first few days of the flooding alone, keeping the system operating under unprecedented conditions. Our Parks and Recreation Division quickly repurposed regional trails so they were available to emergency responders and people needing to evacuate. Our Solid Waste Division is at the forefront of King County’s recovery strategy. And we had employees working day and night at our Flood Warning Center and the Emergency Operations Center.
“Our staff’s swift actions and effective coordination saved lives,” said DNRP Director John Taylor.
From extinction’s edge to a promising future: Putting Lake Sammamish kokanee on a path toward a sustainable recovery
Seven years after a catastrophic decline in the number of adult kokanee salmon returning from Lake Sammamish put the native species on the brink of extinction, there are hopeful signs for a sustainable recovery.
Our biologists reported that more than 8,300 adult kokanee salmon returned to their spawning grounds during the 2024-25 spawning run, a stunning improvement over the 2017-18 run when just 19 returned. It was the strongest indicator yet that actions by our employees and partners are producing positive results for the iconic salmon species.
A major sewer upgrade in Bellevue is the first project of its kind to earn Salmon-Safe certification, modernizing infrastructure and improving habitat
Our major sewer upgrade in Bellevue is the first infrastructure project of its kind to earn Salmon-Safe certification, simultaneously modernizing essential wastewater infrastructure for a growing population, improving habitat for fish and wildlife, and increasing access to nature for people of all abilities.
Salmon-Safe, one of the nation’s leading eco-labels, reviewed the stream design developed by our Wastewater Treatment Division as part of their performance-based certification process. Replacing nearly two miles of sewer pipeline will also better serve growing populations in Bellevue and Newcastle.
Protecting historic nature camps and creating more so a new generation can enjoy healthy outdoor activities
We applied multiple strategies to simultaneously protect historic nature camps and provide more equitable access to a new one in South King County, connecting more young people to healthy outdoor recreation and environmental education.
Nearly all of Camp Sealth on Vashon Island – which has hosted summer camps for more than a century – is now permanently protected. We also worked with partners to reopen Camp Kilworth in Federal Way and helped Highline Public Schools enhance Waskowitz Outdoor Education Center near North Bend.
The multiple partnerships made it possible for more young people in underserved communities to experience nature camps that offer a wide range of activities, such as canoeing, archery, bouldering, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, outdoor living skills, and environmental education.
Landmark King County study of Lake Washington finds that cities can grow without harming water quality
A landmark study by our scientists found that Lake Washington has become clearer this century even as the surrounding population rapidly increased, demonstrating that cities can grow without harming urban lakes.
The study results – recently published in a national scientific journal – found surprising improvements in Lake Washington’s water quality from 1998 through 2022, even as the watershed’s population grew by more than 350,000 people. During those 25 years, spring algae blooms decreased by 50% while summer underwater visibility increased by 3 feet.
$2.17 million in Re+ grants to help small businesses and nonprofits reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions
We awarded a combined $2.17 million in grant funding to 14 projects that will reduce waste and keep valuable resources in the economy and out of the landfill. Each project contributes to Re+, King County’s initiative to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to a sustainable circular economy.
Nearly half of the projects will reduce food waste by collecting unused crops from local farms for culinary training and free meals, reducing waste generated from events, and converting food waste into organic fertilizer for local farmers. Several other projects will make construction more sustainable by converting plastics into 2×4 beams for decking and benches, expanding lumber recovery, and increasing access to a popular tool library.
The Re+ Circular Economy Grants are administered by our Solid Waste Division.
Modernizing aquatic centers, enhancing parks, restoring river corridors, expanding access to outdoor recreation with $31 million in King County Parks Levy grant funding
We awarded $31 million in Parks Levy funding that will modernize aquatic centers, enhance parks and trails, restore river corridors, and expand access to outdoor recreation. The current King County Parks Levy generated a combined $88.6 million for community grants since it was approved by voters in 2019.
Half of the funding is helping city- and school-operated aquatic centers make swimming pools more accessible to children and families of all abilities while assisting with electrical, plumbing, and heating upgrades. City parks throughout King County will add amenities, such as new spray parks in Kent and Seattle and a canoe launch along the Duwamish River in Tukwila. It will also make it possible for more young people to enjoy healthy after-school and summer activities, particularly in underserved communities.
Honoring environmental stewards at the 2025 Green Globe Awards celebration
We hosted the 2025 Green Globe Awards in White Center, King County’s highest honor for environmental stewardship.
The Environmental Catalyst award went to Seattle Times environmental reporter and award-winning author Lynda Mapes. Other winners included an effective hunger relief program that was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, a regional bicycle donation hub, an organization that is advancing equitable access to outdoor experiences, and a nonprofit that is developing transit-friendly, sustainable homes that will be permanently affordable.
A new category for public service honored a recently retired King County Parks employee, Dave Kimmett, who helped protect thousands of acres open space for habitat, recreation, and gathering, including a transformative new urban forest park in North Highline.
Operators at West Point Treatment Plant credit new battery system for delivering reliable power during its first year
Operators at our West Point Treatment Plant credited the new onsite battery system for providing reliable power during its first year of service, ensuring critical pumps operated during 78 power disruptions.
Engineers estimate that 15 of those power disruptions were severe enough to potentially cause an emergency bypass of untreated wastewater into Puget Sound had the onsite batteries not been activated a year earlier. Pumps at the state’s largest treatment plant were powered exclusively by the 16.8-megawatt battery system during each of those disruptions.
“The onsite battery system provides us a peace of mind and allows operators to focus on other response efforts when the plant experiences power disruptions,” said Clinton Fisher, acting Instrumentation and Electrical Supervisor for the Wastewater Treatment Division’s West Section. “I had my doubts at first, but after seeing how it’s worked — and what it’s helped us avoid — I’m a believer.”
Opening new trail segment connecting Burien and SeaTac, completing two-thirds of a regional trail that connects Lake Washington to Puget Sound
We celebrated the opening of a new segment of the Lake to Sound Trail in South King County, completing two-thirds of a regional trail that will connect the southern tip of Lake Washington to a Puget Sound shoreline park.
The new trail segment connects Burien and SeaTac to the existing Des Moines Creek Trail, opening more than seven miles of continuous, non-motorized trail. Partners have now completed 11 miles of the 16-mile regional trail that connects to four other regional trails, two Sound Transit Link stations, the Sounder, Metro RapidRide A Line, and Sea-Tac International Airport.
One year later, King County’s largest-ever floodplain restoration project is improving salmon health
Young Chinook salmon are growing considerably well in the restored habitats of King County’s largest-ever floodplain restoration project along the Snoqualmie River, validating the project’s design and establishing a clear direction for future fish habitat improvements elsewhere.
Ecologists studying the effectiveness of the 145-acre Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project site determined that the restored habitats promote the growth of young salmon and provide distinct, abundant food resources. Those benefits increase the chances that the salmon will survive their journey to the Pacific Ocean and return home to spawn the next generation.
Renewing the King County Parks Levy by the largest percentage in its history
Voters in August renewed the King County Parks Levy by a 73% margin, the highest approval percentage since the first levy was proposed nearly 20 years ago. The renewed six-year levy will generate an estimated $1.45 billion that will help our Parks and Recreation Division maintain, enhance, and expand regional parks and trails, offer more healthy activities for more people and families, and provide grant funding for trusted partners that include cities, school districts, and nonprofits.
Identifying a potential breakthrough for treating salmon-killing tire chemical
Our scientists have identified a potential breakthrough in the longstanding problem of coho salmon dying from exposure to polluted stormwater before they can spawn with a new soil mixture that has is highly effective at treating a toxic chemical found in tire dust.
Our Water and Land Resources Division and partners are now verifying the initial study results, mapping toxic hotspots in local spawning streams, and offering the new treatment option to make stormwater cleaner and safer for people and fish.
Scientists are also building on laboratory success to better understand and address the toxic chemical, known as 6PPDQ, that is killing coho salmon before they reach their spawning grounds.
Testing native tree seedlings from warmer, drier climates to promote healthy, climate-resilient forests
Our foresters are planting native tree seedlings acquired from warmer, drier climates for a long-term study designed to promote healthy, resilient, and productive forests in King County.
Based on climate modeling that predicts conditions at the end of the century, our team secured tree seedlings from Southwest Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. Forest specialists selected four planting locations throughout King County that have different site conditions and will monitor the trees’ survival and health multiple times over the next decade.
Opening two new trails that connect Sound Transit’s Marymoor Village Station to regional trails and King County’s largest park
We opened two new trails in Redmond that connect Sound Transit’s Marymoor Village Station to two regional trails and King County’s largest park, making it safer and more convenient to enjoy healthy outdoor recreation, activities, and events.
The new Marymoor Station Trail offers a direct path from the light rail station to the north end of King County’s Marymoor Park while the new Bear Creek Trail Bridge connects the nearby East Lake Sammamish Trail to the Redmond Central Connector Trail.
Protecting 3,000 acres throughout King County for climate resilience, greenspace expansion, habitat restoration, and farmland access
We announced $107 million in land conservation awards that will protect more than 3,000 acres of open space to advance climate resilience, farmland access, environmental justice, recreation access, and habitat restoration.
A few of the 53 projects include helping the City of Auburn build its first downtown park and public space, permanently protecting the lowland forests of Camp Sealth on Vashon Island, creating more greenspace near affordable housing in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, and helping a community-based organization create an urban farm near Sound Transit’s Rainier Beach Station.
Track our progress all year long
Check out Tracks, an interactive map of our work throughout King County, and bookmark DNRP Field Notes for news releases and features.
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