Eleven projects aimed at improving water quality, protecting and restoring habitat, and supporting salmon recovery efforts in Water Resource Inventory Area 9 – which encompasses the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound watershed received  grant funding from the King County Flood Control District late last month.

The Flood District Board of Supervisors approved $1.5 million in Cooperative Watershed Management Grant funding for WRIA 9 to boost the clean water and salmon recovery efforts of local organizations.

One such approved project is the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Green River Smolt Trap. This funding will contribute towards the operation of the Green River screw trap to help estimate the number of naturally produced Puget Sound Chinook originating in this river system as part of a long term monitoring effort.

The grants, which also leveraged an additional $7.2 million for WRIA 9, help it carry out WRIA 9 salmon conservation projects for Endangered Species Act-listed species according to annual priorities set by the WRIA Forum.