Valley Record SNOQUALMIE
101RS YEA
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015 n DAILY UPDATES AT WWW.VALLEYRECORD.COM n 75 CENTS
Setting a river free
SCHOOLS
SCENE
By SVR Staff
Valley Center Stage presents ‘Steel Magnolias’ Page 9
Students shoot high, take honors in state photo contest Page 16
INDEX Opinion 6 On the Scanner 7 Classifieds 13-15 17 Puzzles 19 Calendar
Vol. 102, No. 1
Representatives from organizations like the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, Kaleen Cottingham, and King County Deputy County Executive, Fred Jarrett, were few of the many who trudged through the muddy woods in Fall City to celebrate the completion of the Upper Carlson Floodplain Restoration project Thursday, May 14. The Snoqualmie River habitat restoration project began with a feasibility study in 2010, as an effort to restore the Chinook salmon’s natural habitat and was completed on Oct. 10, though extending planting lasted longer. The river reach below the Fall City bridge was closed from June 2 to Aug. 8 as the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) removed a 1,600foot linear levee along the river bank and let nature takes its course. “This was not an easy project to do, but I would point out to everyone that we did it,” said John Taylor, assistant division director of DNR’s water and land resources division. “It’s done. And we’re going to do more of these.” With the old levee gone, wintertime flooding brought fresh flows across much of the newly reconnected floodplain. After two major floods, the river has stretched its span by more than 50 feet and a gravel bar is already developing on the opposite bank.
State of the cities
Upper Valley mayors discuss past year, future of North Bend and Snoqualmie By ALLYCE ANDREW Staff Reporter
North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing and Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson gave their annual “State of the City” addresses during the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber luncheon on Friday, May 15, at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge golf club.
Allyce Andrew/Staff Photo
Deputy King County Executive Fred Jarrett was among several officials to speak at the celebration of the Upper Carlson floodplain restoration project’s completion May 14. As these natural processes are restored, gravel bars and log jams will provide additional salmon habitat. Dan Eastman, project manager/senior ecologist, said the river’s projected to move 600 to 700 feet inland within 50 years and built wooden channel mitigations near the road to keep property safe. “It’s expected (the river is) going to migrate a lot further than it has now,” he explained. “It’s going to respond rapidly until it gets to these trees, then
From gas explosions to park openings, the upper Valley’s cities experienced growth, drama and city-shaping landmarks since last year’s state-of-the city luncheon on May 16, 2014. Hearing began by speaking about the halted downtown North Bend hotel, and said winter weather obstructed building progress, but affirmed that a more than 100 luxury-room hotel with a sizable conference center that’s “consistent with the downtown vision” is on the way. He touched on North Bendbased businesses and groups like Bartell Drugs, Georgia’s Bakery, the Snoqualmie Valley Gardening Club and the envisioned Civic Center that will house city hall, SEE CITIES, 2
it’s going to start to slow down. By year 10, the top of the bank will probably be in the river.” To maintain protection for nearby homes, roads and fertile farmland, project managers designed and installed log structures and a new 850-foot-long rock structure at the lower end of the site to provide additional protection where the river is most likely to migrate. SEE FLOODPLAIN, 3
Allyce Andrew/Staff Photo
North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing speaks at the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce luncheon May 15.
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