PHOTO CAPTION: Lake Tapps Parkway East Wetland Mitigation Site
This road project involved the construction of 0.9 miles of new road that connects previously constructed portions of Lake Tapps Parkway to the intersection of 182nd Avenue East and 9th Street East.
Five wetlands(pdf) were impacted by the placement of fill to construct the road and stormwater treatment facilities. A total of 1.75 acres of wetlands were impacted. Mitigation consisted of creating 2.50 acres of wetland and enhancing 3.82 acres of wetland at a site located approximately 2 miles east of the road project in the northeast corner of Edwards Road East and 210th Avenue East.
Wetland creation involved diverting water from a roadside ditch along Edwards Road, which receives water from Lake Tapps. Water enters the site at the south end and moves northward, passing through two leaky berms(pdf), which spread the water out, flood the site and step the water down from one level to another. The water leaves the site and flows into an existing ditch that flows in an east/west direction across the site (labeled/shown on enlarged 2005 aerial photo). The site was planted with a variety of native species such as willow, cedar, rose and slough sedge. In addition, volunteer species like red alder and cattail are growing on the site.
Wetland enhancement occurred north of the existing east/ west ditch and involved planting the area with native trees and shrubs.
Large woody debris (snag trees and logs) are present throughout the site for use by wildlife for perching and cover.
Construction of the wetland mitigation site occurred in the summer and fall of 2004.
