Storm & Surface Water Projects

Year: 2020

About: Most of the development in the Champagne Creek watershed occurred before stormwater controls were required. As a result, stormwater flows have increased, and creek water quality has declined. This project includes design and construction of a rain garden to collect and treat road runoff, upstream of Champagne Creek. The Champagne Creek rain garden is 1,000 square feet in area and collects runoff from more than 3 acres of surrounding area!

Funding: King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks - Wastewater Treatment Division

Year: 2019

About: Demonstration rain garden on the Cross Kirkland Corridor to educate residents about stormwater and different ways to keep our waterways clean. This project directs stormwater from a city street to the rain garden to provide a cleaner and healthier ecosystem.

Funding: King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks - Wastewater Treatment Division    

Year: 2019

About: City of Kirkland developed on-site workshop training to explain and demonstrate erosion control best management practices (BMP’s) for construction site staff. The development of an erosion control BMP guide(PDF, 8MB) was included in this project, as well as the distribution of the guide to the construction audience. 

Funding: King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks - Wastewater Treatment Division.

Year: 2018-19

About: This project included planning for the North Rose Hill basin of the Forbes Creek Watershed to identify a suite of stormwater retrofit projects that will positively influence water quality. Project deliverable included pre-design reports for three projects and a funding/program plan to insure implementation.Phase 2 of this project will incorporate the projects into the City’s Capital Improvement Program and develop funding options.  Phase 3 will include further community engagement, development of final designs, and construction of the projects.

Funding: National Estuary Program via Washington Department of Ecology

Year: 2019

About: This project monitored a reach of Juanita Creek for bacteria and canine genetic markers to determine whether education and outreach was effective in reducing bacteria pollution from pet waste. Through a highly visible outreach campaign, unscooped pet waste was reduced by 80% in three City parks and bacteria levels on the monitored section of the creek were reduced. 

Read the final report.(PDF, 6MB)

Learn more about Kirkland's pet waste program.

Funding: King Conservation District Member Jurisdiction Grant.

Year: 2015

About: The purpose of this grant was to study potential solutions that would help alleviate water quality and habitat degradation in Juanita Creek and Totem Lake. Two possible stormwater retrofit projects have been identified, and conceptual designs have been developed. The City of Kirkland has received comments from the Department of Ecology on the designs and is in the process of addressing them. Thefinal report(PDF, 16MB) was presented to the City Council along with a resolution to adopt the work as part of the 2014 Surface Water Master Plan on November 17, 2015.

Funding: National Estuary Program via Washington Department of Ecology