Flaming Geyser State Park Riparian Revegetation

King County will restore a total of 8.0 acres of riparian habitat along 0.4 miles of Green River shoreline at Flaming Geyser State Park in areas nearly devoid of tree cover, by removing invasive plant species and planting native trees and shrubs. The project sites are in public ownership and were identified by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe (MIT) as areas with high or critical need for shade. Restoring native riparian vegetation will benefit Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Historic removal of tall trees from the banks of the river allows too much sunlight to reach the water, resulting in summertime water temperatures that frequently exceed state water quality standards and the lethal threshold for ESA listed salmon. The Green River Temperature TMDL identified the lack of shade as a main driver for these high temperatures and the need for tall, continuous riparian vegetation along the rivers banks (WDOE 2011). As part of a Lower Green River corridor planning process in 2014, the MIT developed a GIS product that helps prioritize shorelines based on where trees would most effectively shade the river based on solar aspect. Additional analyses of temperature trends was undertaken on data from 2015, which was one of the warmest water years on record (https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/2017/kcr2880/kcr2880.pdf). These studies informed WRIA 9s 2016 Re-Green the Green Vegetation Strategy, which set goals and named priority reaches for revegetating the Green-Duwamish River.

Same goals as listed to the left.