MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
SUBJECT:
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Approval of Interlocal Agreement for Lake Sammamish Watershed Investigations and Kokanee Salmon Recovery Actions
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
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Approve of an Interlocal Agreement that supports Lake Sammamish Kokanee Salmon Recovery actions
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Dave Juarez, Public Works Director 425-556-2733
Gary Schimek, EUSD Manager 425-556-2742
Aaron Moldver, Environmental Programs Supervisor 425-556-2756
Peter Holte, Senior Planner 425-556-2822
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
Kokanee are a unique type of sockeye salmon that spend their entire lives in and near fresh water lakes-unlike other salmon, they do not migrate to the ocean. Lake Sammamish Kokanee are one of only two native kokanee stocks left in Western Washington.
Lake Sammamish Kokanee currently face severe environmental pressures caused by increased predation by non-native species, increased water temperature, and low dissolved oxygen levels within the lake. A severe decline in the number of adult kokanee returning to spawning streams between 2016 and 2018 reveals an elevated risk that this population of fish will become extinct unless additional conservation actions are taken.
The environmental conditions affecting kokanee also raise concerns regarding the overall health of the lake's ecological system, the lake's ability to support other species of concern-including the federally listed Chinook salmon-and the lake's use as a recreational resource.
The proposed Interlocal Agreement (ILA) among the cities of Redmond, Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, the Snoqualmie Tribe, and King County will provide a mechanism for signatories to collectively fund actions associated with the Lake Sammamish Kokanee recovery. This ILA will remain in effect for 10 years starting in 2019. Redmond could choose to withdraw from the ILA in any given year by following notification of termina...
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