2025 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program awards over $14.8 million to local flood risk reduction projects

September 10, 2025

The King County Flood Control District (Flood Control District) on Tuesday announced the recipients of the 2025 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program, awarding $14,803,601 to 35 projects across King County aimed at reducing flood risks and improving resilience for local communities.

“The 2025 Flood Reduction Grant Program is a vital tool for strengthening communities throughout King County,” said Reagan Dunn, Chair of the King County Flood Control District. “By distributing funds equitably across both urban and rural areas, this program ensures that residents countywide benefit from reduced flood risks, healthier ecosystems, and stronger community resilience.”

This year’s grant recipients include cities, tribes, non-profits, and other organizations working on innovative flood reduction projects, such as culvert replacements, coastal erosion solutions, and green stormwater infrastructure. The projects funded through this program will support flood hazard management and restore fish passage while enhancing the sustainability and safety of local communities.

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 Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program represents a lasting legacy of Steve’s unwavering commitment to reducing flood risks and protecting our communities,” said Sarah Perry, Vice Chair of the King County Flood Control District. “His leadership in flood management continues to shape how we approach flood risk reduction across King County. This year’s funding supports essential projects, from culvert replacements to shoreline restoration, which will directly benefit our communities now and into the future.”

Created over a decade ago, the Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program provides funding for projects that help reduce flood risks, restore habitats, and protect infrastructure throughout King County. The program was expanded in 2020 to include categories for urban streams, coastal flooding, and culvert replacement/fish passage restoration projects.

In 2025, the Flood Control District received 37 grant requests totaling over $30 million and funded 35 projects – full funding for 7 projects and partial funding for 28 projects. These projects are located across the county, benefiting both urban and rural communities.

For more information about the Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program, please visit https://kingcountyfloodcontrol.org/.

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About the King County Flood Control District:

The King County Flood Control District (Flood Control District) is a countywide special purpose district created in 2007 to provide flood risk reduction capital projects and programs to the residents of King County. The Flood Control District is building a future to withstand flood risks where thriving King County communities and healthy ecosystems coexist in harmony with area rivers. This vision is accomplished by implementing flood risk reduction policies and projects to protect life and property while advancing various benefits including equity and social justice, sustainable livelihoods, habitat protection, salmon recovery, recreation, and resilient communities.