Flood Control District awards over $1 million for flood reduction projects in District 2

September 9, 2025

The King County Flood Control District on Tuesday approved more than $1 million in flood reduction grant funding for two projects in District 2.

“I’m proud to see the Flood Reduction Grant Program supporting two incredible projects in District 2 that reflect both our environmental goals and our community values,” said Flood Control District Supervisor Girmay Zahilay, who also represents District 2 on the King County Council. “The Mapes Creek Restoration, led by the yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective, will reduce flood risks while restoring salmon habitat and honoring Indigenous leadership in environmental stewardship. The Arboretum Creek Headwaters project will protect the Arboretum and Union Bay from polluted stormwater and help us prepare resilient structures for the impacts of climate change. Together, these efforts show the heart of this program—partnering with local communities, Tribal leaders, and local organizations to strengthen our environment and build a healthier, more resilient region for future generations.”

Fish passage restoration and urban flooding reduction will be the focus of one project, awarded to the Indigenous Creatives Collection. The project will work toward removing all artificial dams and fish passage barriers on a property along Mapes Creek.

The other project, led by Seattle Parks and Recreation, will eliminate flooding and filter stormwater as it flows into Arboretum Creek. Persistent flooding in Washington Park Arboretum and surrounding neighborhood creates dangerous road conditions, increases maintenance burdens and overwhelms the sewer overflow system. The project will address this flooding issue with planning for increased rainfall under the increasing impacts of climate change.

Funding for the projects comes from the Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program, which this year awarded more than $14.8 million to 35 projects across King County.

In October 2024, the Flood Control District’s Board of Supervisors renamed the program in honor of Steve Bleifuhs, a long-time King County floodplain management leader. Bleifuhs, who passed away in July 2024, was instrumental in shaping flood hazard management in the county, including the development of the 2006 King County Flood Hazard Management Plan.

The program is funded by the King County Flood Control District, a countywide special purpose district intended to provide funding and policy oversight for flood risk reduction capital projects and programs in King County. The Flood Control District’s Board of Supervisors is its primary governing body and is composed of the members of the Metropolitan King County Council.

In 2020, the Board of Supervisors took steps to reaffirm the District’s commitment to a countywide multi-benefit approach to flood risk reduction and created three new grant programs in addition to the original Flood Reduction Grant program. The three new programs address the countywide flood issues associated with urban streams, coastal erosion/coastal flooding, and culvert replacement/fish passage restoration. The original grant program remains and a total of four grant areas of interest are available under the Flood Reduction Grant Programs umbrella.