Our Watersheds

RESTORE OUR WATERS

Restore Our Waters is the City of Seattle’s commitment to take actions and promote partnerships that protect and improve our creeks, lakes, the Duwamish River and Puget Sound. Restore Our Waters

URBAN WATERSHEDS

Seattle has four major receiving waters: Lake Washington, the Ship Canal and Lake Union, the Duwamish River and Puget Sound. Three urban basins, or watersheds, contribute to each of these receiving waters. Urban Watersheds

CEDAR RIVER WATERSHED

The City of Seattle’s Cedar River Municipal Watershed is carefully managed to support and supply clean drinking water to 1.4 million people in the greater Seattle area. The watershed covers 90,638 acres and is owned by the City of Seattle. Cedar River Watershed

TOLT RIVER WATERSHED

The South Fork Tolt River is the smaller and lesser known (than the Cedar River) but still essential second supply watershed in SPU’s freshwater supply system. Located in the foothills of the Cascades in east King County, it supplies about 30% of the drinking water for 1.3 million people in and around Seattle. Tolt River Watershed

HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN

The Cedar River Watershed Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is a 50-year, ecosystem-based plan that was prepared to address the declining populations of salmon, steelhead and other species of fish and wildlife in the Cedar River basin.

Prepared under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the plan is designed both to provide certainty for the City of Seattle's drinking water supply and to protect and restore habitats of 83 species of fish and wildlife that may be affected by the City of Seattle's water supply and hydroelectric operations on the Cedar River. Habitat Conservation Plan