A stretch of the Cedar River near Renton will become a better home for fish and wildlife, thanks to a King County habitat restoration project.
The Elliott Bridge Reach Mitigation Project includes improving habitat along both banks of the Cedar River between 154th Place Southeast Bridge and Ron Regis Park in unincorporated King County. The work is being done on public land and includes:
- Removing fill material and modifying existing levees to restore approximately four acres to the active floodplain, while maintaining flood protection for downstream roads and residential properties;
- Replanting native wetland and upland plant species, and controlling invasive plants;
- Constructing a side channel along this reach of the Cedar River to provide refuge for migrating fish during high flows; and
- Creating pool habitat while protecting recreational safety and passage through the reach.
Construction is expected to begin July 6, and continue through September. The site will be planted with native vegetation from November and into April 2016. A second phase of the project will be completed next summer.
The project is being done to mitigate a portion of the impacts associated with the SR 520 Bridge Replacement Project.
The project will maintain current flood protection while creating new habitat features on both banks of the river.
Excavated soil will be removed from the project site by dump trucks, which will result in additional traffic on Southeast Jones Place and 149th Avenue Southeast during construction. Hours of operation will be set by the contractor, but by King County Code must be between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
