Friends of Madrona Woods (of which I am a board member) is a Seattle neighborhood environmental group which has “adopted” Madrona Woods (bordering 38th Avenue and Lake Washington Blvd). After doing much forest restoration by rebuilding trails and stairways, removing invasive and exotic plants (holly, ivy, etc.) and replacing it with native plants, FOMW has taken on the ambitious goal of restoring Madrona Park Creek. In the early 20th century, this stream once ran above ground from the 38th Avenue ravine all the way down to Lake Washington. Now it runs underground in pipes. As I said it’s a big (at least for a small neighborhood group like ours), expensive project which requires much planning, permitting, and approvals from city agencies.
The Seattle Parks Department decided to schedule a public hearing about the stream restoration project on Thursday, October 13th at 6 PM at Park headquarters, 100 Dexter Avenue N. If you support our project, I hope you’ll try to attend. Or alternatively, you may supply written testimony by e-mailing Sandy Brooks.
If you’d like to donate to the project (such donations are gratefully appreciated), send it to Friends of Madrona Woods c/o J. Scott, 3700 East Marion Street, Seattle, WA 98122. Please make your check payable to Madrona Community Council. Gifts are tax-deductible.
PROJECT LOCATION:
853 Lake Washington Blvd
BUDGET:
This creek daylighting project will cost approximately $450,000 and is being funded by grants and private donations.
SCHEDULE:
Phase I (the ravine) and II (the shoreline) are scheduled to begin construction in summer 2006.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Proposed Project:
This community-initiated project would take Madrona Creek out of pipes and run the water on the surface in a new creek bed. The sloping lawn area between Lake Washington Boulevard and Lake Washington would be replaced with native plantings. The project includes:
- Restoration of a creek channel where water is currently piped, from above 38th Ave down to the Lake Washington shoreline.
- Construction of an observation deck at the creek’s headwaters in the 38th Ave ravine.
- Modification of the land between Lake Washington Blvd. S and the shoreline. A 4,800-square-foot wetland cove would replace a small portion of existing lawn area (the northern section near the bus turnaround).
- Installation of new creek culverts under 38th Ave., Lake Washington Blvd., and the path through which fish could pass.
- A crushed rock pedestrian trail along the lakeshore and around the wetland cove.
- Four new creek crossing bridges, one below the boulevard and three in the ravine.
- Re-vegetation of approximately 1.5 acres of existing park with native plants, including in the ravine and along the lakeshore.
- Maintenance of views to the lake in three key view corridors through plantings three to four feet in height.
Anticipated Impacts:
Park access will be limited at times during construction and there will be truck traffic, equipment noise, and traffic modifications during construction.
If you have any questions about the project or this post please add a comment or send me an e mail via this blog. Friends of Madrona Woods will have a new website built very soon.
