Taylor Creek Restoration
Restoring the Creek for Salmon
Watch our Habitat Restoration video!
Why does habitat need to be restored?
The Taylor Creek project was initiated to reduce localized flood risks while simultaneously supporting regional salmon recovery—two problems which have the same causes and potential solutions. Taylor Creek hosts small populations of spawning Coho and Sockeye salmon, as well as resident rainbow and cutthroat trout and has the potential to be uniquely suitable habitat for these fish. Endangered juvenile Chinook salmon also utilize the lower portion of Taylor Creek as critical rearing and refuge habitat when they migrate from their spawning habitat in Cedar River to Puget Sound along the Lake Washington shoreline.
In the early 1900s, the Taylor Mill at the mouth of the creek blocked fish from accessing their refuge habitat in lower Taylor Creek. During this period, the lower creek was also routed into a culvert under Rainier Ave, creating more blockages in the fish passage. Access was reduced again when the lake was lowered in 1916 and when homes were built along the creek in 1940, extending the culvert. These historical land use changes and urban development — as discussed in the online open house — had direct negative impacts on fish habitat in the watershed, resulting in reduced populations of salmon.
What efforts are being made to recover salmon?
The story of Taylor Creek and its development is not unique in Puget Sound. Similar urban development regionally has led to a significant loss of fish habitat and declining fish populations. Chinook salmon were officially listed as an Endangered Species in 1999 and recovery efforts
Above: Taylor Creek is the last of 9 key restoration projects.
began across the region. Water Resources Inventory Areas (WRIAs) were established, and state and federal funding was dedicated for salmon recovery. The Lake Washington/Cedar River/Sammamish watershed was designated as WRIA 8 and King County, the City of Seattle, and other local jurisdictions committed to implementing the recovery plan for these local waters. In the WRIA 8 recovery plan, the Taylor Creek shoreline and delta is one of the highest priority locations for restoring rearing and refuge habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon migrating from their spawning habitat in Cedar River to Puget Sound.
To support this work, SPU has sought and received funding from a variety of sources that reflect the project needs. To date, state and local grants have been received from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board’s Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration grant program, King County Flood Control District, and King County’s Regional Salmon Recovery Lead Entity (WRIA 8). Our commitment to these funding sources includes ensuring fish passage in our designs and supporting local and regional salmon recovery needs.
What does habitat restoration have to do with sediment management?
Sediment transported to the shoreline from erosion in the upper watershed has created a cap of larger rocks on the delta. This delta formation—and the coarse sediment within— blocks salmon from accessing the mouth of the creek. Aerial photos reveal that the delta has been growing over time. This coarse material is not easily moved by large storm events or by regular wave action and therefore accumulates, as seen in this photo.
Restoring the delta and preventing more coarse material from being transported downstream and deposited at the delta is a key priority of sediment management in Dead Horse Canyon. Meanwhile, most of the fine sediment in the creek is expected to continue to flow downstream and deposit lower in the creek and at the mouth. In contrast to coarse sediment, fine sediment helps improve and sustain rearing and refuge habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon in the lower channel (downstream of Rainier Ave S) and on the delta. Juvenile salmon prefer fine sediment deltas (sand, silt, and pea gravel) and shallow water with a low slope gradient.
Are salmon currently in the creek, and what will recovery look like?
Juvenile salmon are currently present in the south part of the lake— including the lower sections of small streams like Taylor Creek— for four to five months after leaving their spawning grounds in the Cedar River to grow before continuing their migration to Puget Sound. Coho and sockeye salmon do use the lower channel and delta of Taylor Creek for spawning, while resident cutthroat trout were confirmed to be present in Dead Horse Canyon by recent fish surveys.
Following restoration, we expect to see an increase in juvenile Chinook in the lower channel from Lakeridge Playfield to the lake. The new stream channel will provide the ideal sediment and slope levels for juvenile Chinook, while new vegetation along the banks will cool the water and provide shelter. In 2015, we observed large numbers of juvenile Chinook return to the nearby lower Mapes Creek, following restoration. Taylor Creek is closer to the mouth of the Cedar River than Mapes Creek and has the potential to provide better habitat than Mapes Creek, so we expect to see similar or even greater numbers of juvenile Chinook return to Taylor Creek. Juveniles typically don’t go as far upstream as spawning salmon, and the gradient in the upper creek is steep so we don’t expect to see juvenile Chinook in Dead Horse Canyon.
Currently, Taylor Creek runs through a ditch from Rainier Ave. to the shoreline.
Mapes Creek after restoration, 2015.
Mapes Creek two years after restoration, 2017.
We do expect to see increased spawning further upstream by coho and sockeye salmon after restoration, and are including fish passages in our designs for large woody material structures throughout the project. Slower moving pools will form behind the structures, where fish can rest, and hide within the structures. Existing barriers, like the culvert under Rainier Ave will be removed and in-stream elevation changes will be designed to allow easier access to the upstream canyon habitat.
In the process of restoring the key habitat of Taylor Creek for endangered salmon, we will also be improving habitat for plants, other fish—including resident trout, and animals in the watershed, and anticipate that the overall health and resilience of the creek will be improved in the face of an evolving city and changing climate.