Location: Stream mile 6.6 of Big Soos Creek on privately owned residential property within the City of Kent.
Project Lead : Green River Coalition
Partners:
Project Goals: The Green River Coalition works with Green River College interns to revegetate private property shorelines within the Soos Creek Basin. The goal for this site is to shade the creek using shrubs in a stretch of the creek with overhead power lines. Because of the power lines, the interns must select plants that will grow no taller than 20 feet, yet still offer habitat benefits and shade to the creek. To revegetate this shoreline, the first step was weed suppression. Green River Coalition uses non-chemical control when addressing weeds such as Himalayan blackberry and reed canary grass. The goal is to establish native vegetation that will overcome invasive plants, shading them out over time.
Progress to Date:
- Reed canary grass has been cut down and piled in the corner of the property
- Blackberry has been removed, as much as the homeowners are willing. 30% of the root balls were removed
- Site was planted in fall 2019
- As a measure of weed suppression, a layer of cardboard, topped with 4 in of mulch, has been applied to one of the sites
- Interns installed blue tubes around plants to provide insulation during winter and to help protect the plants from power tools and herbivores
- Tubes were removed due to flooding during winter 2019-2020 season
Future Plans: Supplement plantings following some loss during the 2020 flood and continue invasive weed control. Longer term, Green River Coalition plans to continue working downstream from the current site on adjacent properties.
Questions? Contact Michael Taton at Green River Coalition.
Funding for this project is provided by: King County Flood Control District and the EPA
Green Duwamish Revegetation 