Bellevue residents are being asked to take a survey to help shape the 20-year Watershed Management Plan initiated by the city. The purpose of this is to improve the health of Bellevue’s streams for people and wildlife.
The growth of Bellevue’s landscape has affected the health of the waterways and salmon, fish, and wildlife, who live in the more than 80 miles of streams in the area.
Due to rain falling on hard surfaces like rooftops, driveways, streets, highways, and parking lots, pollutants have been picked up, including fertilizers, soap, oil, and dirt. The polluted water flows into storm drains, and can have a harmful effect on streams, lakes, and wetlands. Too much stormwater running into streams can erode banks and hard fish and wildlife habitat.
The activity in Bellevue’s watersheds impacts the water quality and habitat of Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington.
The Watershed Management Plan effort comes at the recommendations from the Utilities Storm and Surface Water System Plan, which was approved in 2015 by the City, and the Environmental Stewardship Initiative.
The plan includes enhanced maintenance, new policies or regulations, programs like removing barriers in streams, and projects like controlling and treating rainwater runoff.
If you would like to provide feedback to help the city develop an effective plan, take the survey by August 30th.
