Cedar Creek Rainwater Management Project

creek photo.jpg
Project Description

The Cedar Creek rainwater management project will address water quality, creek health, and flooding concerns in the Cedar Creek basin.

City of Kirkland is at the end of the initial study phase of this multi-year project. Based on the initial study phase and feedback from the community, we have developed draft designs for four rainwater management facilities.

None of these projects are currently funded. Actual construction of these projects will be dependent on future funding and would likely occur in the next 2-5 years. 

Explore the Story Map for these four facilities here

Site #1 - Inglemoor Pond Retrofit at 88th Ave NE

This project would reconfigure and enlarge the existing stormwater pond and install a water quality treatment vault.

This project would receive rainwater runoff from approximately 5 acres of upstream area to help lower the risk of downstream flooding, improve water quality for wildlife and recreation, and contribute to a healthier Juanita Creek. 

Site 1 Project Fact Sheet(PDF, 2MB)

Site 1 Preliminary Site Design(PDF, 9MB)

Site #2 - Water Quality Treatment of 90th Ave NE and NE 142nd St

This project would treat stormwater that runs off NE 142nd St and the surrounding area by installing a stormwater filter vault beneath the street. The pond east of 90th Ave NE would remain unchanged.

This project would receive rainwater runoff from approximately 33 acres of upstream area to help improve water quality and contribute to a healthier Juanita Creek.    

Site 2 Fact Sheet(PDF, 6MB)

Site 2 Preliminary Design(PDF, 13MB)

 

Site #3 - Water Quality Treatment of 93rd Ave NE & NE 143rd PL

This project would treat stormwater that runs off 93rd Ave NE and the surrounding area by installing a vault beneath the street in the cul de sac of 93rd Ave NE. The pond on the west side of the cul de sac would remain unchanged.

This project would receive rainwater runoff from approximately 13.2 acres of upstream area to help improve water quality and contribute to a healthier Juanita Creek.

Site 3 Fact Sheet(PDF, 2MB)

Site 3 Preliminary Design(PDF, 10MB)

 

Site #7 - Water Quality Treatment at 100th Ave NE

This project would treat stormwater that runs off Simonds Road NE and the surrounding area by installing a vault beneath the street. 

This project would receive rainwater runoff from approximately 9.7 acres of upstream area to improve water quality for wildlife and contribute to a healthier Juanita Creek. 

Site 7 Fact Sheet(PDF, 990KB)

Location

The Cedar Creek basin is in northern Kirkland and is part of the larger Juanita Creek watershed.

 Cedar Creek basin map(PDF, 560KB)

What's Happening Now?

We developed preliminary designs for the 4 locations. This process included collecting information about Cedar Creek basin conditions, along with input from potential facility site neighbors.

None of these projects are currently funded. The City will prioritize these projects along with other surface water projects, and will seek funding to develop full designs and then to construct the projects. This process will likely take 2-5 years.

Community Benefits

  • Greener, more attractive neighborhoods
  • Lower risk of street and property flooding
  • Improved water quality for ecosystems and recreation
  • Healthier Cedar Creek and Juanita Creek
Community Engagement

We want to be sure that while meeting our water quality needs, we also meet the needs of the community. Throughout this first study phase of the project, we engaged with the community and received input through basin-wide mailers, community surveys, open houses, and direct neighbor outreach. 

We welcome input on the four selected sites through our online survey, by emailing stormwater@kirklandwa.gov, or by calling 425-587-3820. 

If any projects are funded, there will be additional outreach about the designs and any traffic/construction impacts.

Learn about the Cedar Creek Rainwater Management Project

Why Cedar Creek basin?

Much of the area surrounding Cedar Creek was developed before we knew of the need for rainwater management. This has resulted in damage to Cedar Creek from high water flows and pollution. In addition, Cedar Creek flows to Juanita Creek, which has bacteria levels and temperatures that are too high, and oxygen levels and creek life indicators that are too low.

One strategy the City of Kirkland is using to solve this problem is to build rainwater management facilities, which reduce polluted runoff and flooding and improve water quality in areas that do not currently have rainwater management facilities. 


What is rainwater runoff?

Rainwater runoff is rainwater or melting snow that doesn’t evaporate or soak into the ground. Rainwater runoff carries pollutants like pesticides, fertilizers, soaps, and vehicle fluids to the nearest creek or lake, and can cause flooding and erosion downstream.

Rainwater in Kirkland story map.JPG Rainwater in Kirkland is a story map discussing rainwater runoff, its impacts on water quality and our community, and how City of Kirkland and others are working to prevent and solve runoff-related problems.


What does a rainwater management facility look like?

In this first phase of the project, City of Kirkland is investigating what types of rainwater management facilities to build and where within the Cedar Creek basin they should be installed.

The project is considering a wide range of options including rain gardens and underground vaults as types of facilities that may be installed.

Roadside rain gardenRain gardens slow the flow of rainwater runoff and let it filter into the ground naturally.

 

 

 

Underground vaults and wells slow the flow of rainwater runoff and allow pollutants to settle to the bottom to be cleaned out later.

Image of stormwater vault

 

 

Ecology Logo YSRR.jpgThis project is funded in part by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology