This year marks the 20th anniversary of Salmon SEEson, King County’s program helping people watch one of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest natural events: salmon returning from the open ocean to the same streams where they hatched to spawn the next generation.
Each fall, chinook, coho, sockeye, and chum salmon – along with the Lake Sammamish kokanee, a native and genetically distinct freshwater population found nowhere else – make their way back to rivers and creeks throughout King County.
Twenty years of Salmon SEEson reflects two decades of habitat restoration, stormwater management, and community stewardship working to give these fish a fighting chance to complete their journey.
Salmon are a seasonal spectacle, as well as a cultural, economic, and environmental cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest. This season, King County invites residents to see it for themselves. The Salmon SEEson viewing map makes it easy to find self-guided and interactive viewing sites near you.
Mark your calendar: Salmon Day at the Locks
Chinook salmon are beginning their journey through the Ballard Locks now, with the run expected to peak in mid-August. Locals and visitors alike can watch fish make their way through the fish ladder as they head toward spawning grounds in the greater Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish watershed.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hosting its annual Salmon Day at the Ballard Locks on Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Staff from Water Resource Inventory Area 8, known as WRIA 8, will be on-site with information about Salmon SEEson. This is a great opportunity to see the run up close and learn more about the program’s 20-year history.
Habitat restoration helps salmon come home
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust recently completed a major salmon habitat restoration project along the lower 4,600 feet of Issaquah Creek within Lake Sammamish State Park. The project improves habitat for salmon by adding large wood structures, reconnecting the floodplain, and reactivating old side channels. It also gives visitors a chance to witness salmon make their way up Issaquah Creek to Issaquah Salmon Hatchery – another great spot to add to your Salmon SEEson viewing list this year.
Working to recover salmon is fundamental to caring for our home and making our communities sustainable for the long term. Protecting and restoring salmon habitat improves water quality, reduces flood hazards, protects open space, improves stormwater management, and promotes a proud legacy of stewardship for future generations.
Since 2008, the county has invested a combined $110 million to protect river and stream corridors, conducting more than 260 transactions that permanently protected more than 2,500 acres of habitat that have ecological benefit for fish and wildlife in addition to reducing flood risks.
Individuals can help salmon populations thrive by practicing water conservation and pollution prevention year-round, so more fish can survive and continue their journey to the ocean and back to local streams and rivers:
- Choose natural yard care
- Plant native, pollinator-friendly plants
- Reduce pesticide use
- Properly dispose of paint, oil, and other hazardous products
- Keep chemicals out of storm drains
About Salmon SEEson
Salmon SEEson is sponsored by the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council as part of its effort to recover salmon in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed. Additional sponsors include the Saving Water Partnership, Duwamish Alive Coalition, the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed, the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum, the Hazardous Waste Management Program, and the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
For more information, visit kingcounty.gov/salmon and click on “Where to view salmon.”