December 18, 2015 - Newsletter

Water Quality Grants

I'm happy to announce that the County Council directed over $400,000 to five water quality improvement projects in Council District 9. The funding comes from a King County program approved by the County Council that set aside $2 million of funding to improve water quality throughout the county.

The City of Black Diamond will receive a $243,643 grant to partially fund efforts diverting storm water away from State Route 169 and Grinder Creek. $45,000 will go to the City of Maple Valley to help fund the installation of series of downstream infiltration systems on the east side of 216th Avenue Southeast to treat storm water that previously flowed untreated directly into the watershed. A $12,000 grant was provided to the Lake Sawyer Park Foundation to create an 'interpretive trail,' to teach local residents about the importance of the watershed.

Read more on these projects:

Black Diamond and Maple Valley receive grant funding for area water quality projects

A project in the unincorporated community of Fairwood will receive $45,000 to go toward the replacement of a failing pipe system owned by an HOA in the community.

Read more: https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/news/2015/December/12-14-RD-WaterqualityFairwood.aspx

Lastly, the Cedar River Stewardship-in-Action, received $70,000 to remove noxious weeds other non-native plants infestations along the Cedar River. The award will not only help improve water quality but will also increase the quantity of habitat available for species such as the Chinook salmon.

Read more: https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/news/2015/December/12-15-CedarRiver.aspx

Vietnamese Martyrs' Parish Visit

Pictured: Kien Nguyen, Councilmember Reagan Dunn, former Governor Dan Evans, and Father Thanh Dao

I had the privilege of touring the Vietnamese Martyrs Parish this week with former Governor Dan Evans, a longtime friend of the Vietnamese community here in Washington State. As the Chair of the King County Flood Control District, I reached out to the parish to connect them with the Flood Control District's flood protection planning process.

Making them aware of the Flood Control District is important since their church, which they are preparing to expand to accommodate their growing congregation of over 1,800 families, is next to the banks of the Green River.