| December 1, 2000
News Release Better flood protection, a recreational trail and an expected boost for fish and wildlife habitat are the upshots of a cooperative Green River levee setback project involving King County, the City of Kent and The Boeing Company. The levee setback was made possible after The Boeing Company pledged to donate a 200-foot wide, 4,000-foot long strip of land along the Green River to the City of Kent. The donation opened the door for the Water and Land Resources Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources to remove the levee on the river bank and move it 200 feet back. The levee relocation improves the river's ability to accommodate flows during flood events at the site and increases flood protection because it is built two feet higher than what is required to withstand a 100-year flood. "Thanks to the outstanding cooperation of the City of Kent and The Boeing Company, we've not only improved flood protection but we've reclaimed 4,000 feet of river front area for future habitat enhancement," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "What a great example of how we're reducing the potential for floods and their impacts in a salmon-friendly way, and what we're trying to accomplish through our Earth Legacy Initiative." The Earth Legacy Initiative is an ongoing effort by the county to protect and enhance the region's natural environment. Tens of thousands of cubic yards of raised fill, which had served both as a flood containment levee and as the roadbed of Russell Road, were moved back from the river. Moving the levee back reversed a longstanding adverse impact on riparian (streamside vegetation) and river habitat. The downstream end of the project ties into a similar 600-foot long project completed in 1998 just upstream of the S. 200th St. bridge. Located on the right bank of the Green River near The Boeing Company's Kent Aerospace Center - between the South 212th Street and South 200th Street bridges - the project also sets the stage for future cooperative fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects. Such projects may involve King County, the City of Kent, and funding assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "It's a win-win project for both the river and the community," said Don Wickstrom, Public Works Director for the City of Kent. "We've accomplished enhanced flood protection in the valley and the stage is set to really enhance the ecology of the river." For example, to more fully restore riparian and in-stream habitat at the site, future projects could involve re-sloping the bank of the Green River to a more natural slope angle and excavating additional flood storage and off-channel habitat areas. Thousands of native trees and shrubs could be planted to restore a riparian forest, and large woody debris could be added along the bankline as fish habitat. The land would also be part of a new City of Kent park. "The Boeing donation of land in Kent for a park is another example of how we work to make Boeing properties - whether retained or sold - valued community assets," said Phil Cyburt, president of Boeing Realty Corporation. "We believe the land preserved along the river will be another amenity for Pacific Gateway Business Park, while providing a significant benefit for the citizens of Kent." This levee setback resulted in the permanent abandonment of Russell Road South by the City of Kent. It is replaced by a 12-foot-wide recreational trail sited on the reconstructed levee crest. This fall the Boeing Company will landscape a 25-foot wide strip along the east edge of the donated land with native plants. This $525,000 project, which began in late August, was co-funded by the Washington State Department of Ecology's Flood Control Assistance Account Program, the City of Kent, The Boeing Company and Green River Flood Control Zone District funds.
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