Project Overview
Little Bear Creek flows through Woodinville, emptying into the Sammamish River. Little Bear Creek is a critical habitat for runs of Chinook, Sockeye, Kokanee, and Coho salmon. This area is key spawning habitat for endangered and threatened species, and when restored, will improve fish passage and alleviate hazardous flooding. The creek passes through two culverts underneath NE 195th Street, a four-lane road with a freeway entrance to SR-522 adjacent to the culvert crossing. The purpose of this project is to improve fish passage and minimize flooding by replacing the two existing concrete culverts with a bridge spanning 120-feet wide by 30-feet long. This project also improves water quality by enhancing the banks of the creek and retrofitting an existing ditch on the north side of NE 195th Street that discharges into Little Bear Creek. This project provides an opportunity to convert the ditch into a basic bioswale, or a vegetated trench, that can move water efficiently through the system.
The City is pursuing various grant opportunities to fund this project, estimated at $5.2 million, including the NOAA grant opportunity – Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal.