Watersheds

Click to learn moreA watershed is a basin-shaped area that drains into a river, lake, or the ocean. It includes freshwater (ground and surface) as well as saltwater from Puget Sound. Large watersheds can include two or more smaller watersheds or basins, since large rivers are made up of smaller rivers and streams that flow together. Renton is home to two major watersheds, the Cedar Rive/Lake Washington and Green River/Duwamish.

Renton is rich in aquatic resources. The Cedar River is a major river that flows through the city and into Lake Washington. In addition, a large portion of the city drains to the Green/Duwamish River via Springbrook Creek and remnants of the Black River. Both rivers and the lake are home to runs of Chinook, sockeye and coho salmon. The largest run of sockeye salmon in the continental United States swims through Renton every year on its return to the Cedar River.

Stormwater Management Action Planning

Goals and Process
The goal of stormwater management action planning is to meet the requirements of the Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit (section S5.C.1.d) and strategically direct resources to a watershed basin that will lead to improvements in the downstream waterway.

Stormwater Management Action Planning consists of three steps:

  1. Document and assess existing information related to local receiving water bodies and contributing area conditions. By March 31, 2022, submit a watershed inventory and assessment.
    Watershed Inventory and Assessment

  2. By June 30, 2022, develop a prioritization method and process to identify which receiving waters will most benefit from stormwater facility retrofits, tailored implementation of a Stormwater Management Program and other land/development management actions. Document the prioritized and ranked list of receiving waters. Receiving Water Prioritization 

  3. By March 31, 2023, develop a Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) for at least one high priority watershed catchment. Stormwater Management Action Plan

Protecting Endangered Species

Chinook salmon and bull and steelhead trout are protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This federal law protects not only the fish themselves, but also the habitat the fish need to survive and prosper.

One response to the decline of salmon is to protect and restore the habitat on which salmon depend. Planning what to do by watershed or Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) is an effective way to account for the specific needs of different fish populations and habitats found throughout Puget Sound.

Water Resource Inventory Area

A WRIA is a Water Resource Inventory Area which may include more than one watershed. Washington state is divided into 62 WRIAs for water and aquatic-resource management issues. However, the terms "WRIA" and "watershed" are frequently used interchangeably. In King County, salmon habitat recovery efforts are coordinated by WRIA.
A map of all WRIAs in Washington state
  • WRIA 8: Lake  Washington/Cedar/ Sammamish Watershed Salmon Habitat Recovery
  • WRIA 9: Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed Salmon Habitat Recovery

Watershed Planning: Working Together

Successful conservation and restoration of salmon habitat requires that a wide variety of people work together. In the Water Resource Inventory Areas, watershed-based habitat plans were developed by committees that included local elected officials, concerned residents, representatives of environmental and business interests, and staff from state and federal agencies.

Since 2005, these same partners have been working together to implement these plans. This coordinated effort is improving the health of Renton's watersheds for both local people and fish and is contributing to regional efforts to restore Puget Sound.

The City of Renton is proud to be a part of these collaborative efforts and if everyone works together, salmon can be preserved.

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