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Meadowbrook Pond Updates

May 31, 2013

Pond to remain open an additional week – Pond to be CLOSED June 10th thru September

SPU’s contractor SNC-Lavalin has informed us that they will need another week to prepare for mobilization. Therefore, please except a Pond closing date of June 10th instead of June 3rd.

Also, SPU was hoping to engage the Green Seattle Partnership in coordinating another plant salvage work party like we did in January. However they did not have enough availability ahead of this summer’s construction window. Seattle Parks was able to find a home for some of the plants that would have been lost as part of the construction. For more information please contact Deb Heiden.

May 30, 2013

Addendum to the Meadowbrook Pond Dredging and Improvements Project
SEPA Determination of Non-significance issued

DNS Addendum (pdf)

May 10, 2013

Construction to Begin Again – Pond to be CLOSED June 3rd thru September

Meadowbrook Pond will close June 3rd when fencing goes up around the facility again. SPU's contractor, SNC-Lavalin Constructors, will mobilize on the site that week and begin work on the maintenance and safety improvements. The Pond will be closed to the public during the work until October.

Last summer the SNC-Lavalin completed the dredging portion of the project, removing approximately 6000 cubic yards of material. This summer they will be constructing the maintenance pathways, access ramps, improved trash racks, pond expansion and floating habitat islands. Refer to the summary (pdf) for location and impacts of construction items.  Additionally, the creek bank failure discovered on the west side of the facility this winter will be repaired while that portion of the creek is bypassed.

Approved working hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some work on Saturdays may be allowed between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The contractor will need City approval to perform emergency or necessary work outside of these hours.

Bit of Bank Slips Away

  • Bank Slide
  • SNC-Lavalin used Triflo equipment to remove sediment from the water before cleaning it and returning it to the Pond.
  • The floating dredge has now been removed from the Pond.
  • A good view of the pond on July 24th before dredging began. Notice the family of deer working their way to the water’s edge.
  • Dredging work in Cell 1 on August 6th.
  • “Fish wrangling” on the pond.
  • During a break in the work, a local family stopped to learn more about the fish relocation and equipment.

You may have seen the yellow “Caution” tape near the creek on the west side of the Meadowbrook Pond facility. SPU crews noticed that a portion of the stream bank had sloughed off (seen on the right of this photograph). We’re not sure exactly when this occurred, however the situation now appears to be stable and creek flows are not being affected. SPU’s contractor will re-stabilize the bank this summer when they are making maintenance improvements in that area.

SPU will continue to monitor the area to ensure that the situation does not pose any serious risks. If you notice any change in the condition of the bank that seems cause for concern, please notify the SPU Operations Response Center at 206-386-1800.

January 4th, 2013

Plant Salvage

The Green Seattle Partnership will be coordinating an opportunity to salvage plants expected to be affected by this summer's construction work at Meadowbrook Pond. The salvage event is Friday, January 18th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Please visit Green City Partnerships for more details and contact information.

October 10th

Meadowbrook Pond Has Reopened

There are still a few minor clean-up items the contractor needs to complete, but nothing we think presents a public safety hazard, so the access control fences were taken down. Not surprisingly, visitors started arriving right away. SPU still needs to pick up our boat and silt fences, but the dredging of the Pond is complete.

September 27th

The dredging of the Pond is nearly complete and the floating dredge has been removed. Pond re-opening is anticipated to be Mid-October.

The “fish window” for the pond closed on September 30th. The next few weeks will be spent restoring the disturbed areas of the site, removing stockpiled dredged material from 36th Ave NE and generally making the site safe for public entry.

SPU thanks you for your continued patience throughout this challenging process.

Master Use Permit Appeal Dismissed

The Hearing Examiner ruled on September 21st that the appeal of the project’s Master Use Permit should be dismissed. Learn more >

As you may recall this appeal was directed toward the non-dredging improvements that were to occur in the Pond and Creek (i.e., trash rack improvements, maintenance access routes/ramps and pond expansion.) Because of the delay, we have missed this year’s “fish window,” the only time work can be done in the pond and creek. This work will need to occur during the summer of 2013

August 7th

The safety fences went up July 19th, closing the Pond to visitors. SNC-Lavalin then mobilized and began dredging in the Forebay and Cell 1, which they expected to finish today. They’ll move into the main pond tomorrow (August 8th). Trucks will continue to run on 36th Ave. N.E. but residents should notice a decrease in truck traffic on N.E. 105th St and 39th Ave. N.E. 

Fish relocation has been going well. SPU and King County staff have removed approximately 8300 fish from the Forebay, Cell 1 and Cell 2 areas. Native species were released into Thornton Creek, while non-natives and some natives are currently being kept in Cell 3. No invasive bullfrogs so far.

July 19th – Meadowbrook Pond

Dredging Underway

The safety fencing has gone up at Meadowbrook Pond. A crane, dredging boat and other large equipment will start arriving July 25th, with fish relocation and dredging beginning the week of July 30th. The Pond will remain closed until mid-September.

Non-native Bullfrogs

In preparation for dredging Meadowbrook Pond, we have found non-native bullfrogs, which are classified as prohibited aquatic animal species by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

While we are trapping fish in the pond, it is highly likely we will unintentionally capture bullfrogs as well, but we will not be able to release them back into another part of the pond or into the stream. They may not be “possessed, imported, purchased, sold, propagated, transported, or released,” per state regulations. Therefore, any frogs that are captured will be safely disposed of in the most humane manner possible. Removal of bullfrogs ultimately will benefit the native wildlife inhabiting the Pond. Learn more >

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife contacts for bullfrog and other aquatic invasive species issues are Allen Pleus at (360) 902-2724 or Sergeant Carl Klein at (360) 902-2426.

Master Use Permit Appeal

Due to additional time needed for proposed motions to the appeal, the Hearing Examiner hearing has been pushed back to October, effectively ensuring we will miss this year’s “fish window” that would allow construction of the non-dredging improvements that were to occur in the Pond and Creek. Learn more >

July 11th

Dredging May Proceed

The Seattle Hearing Examiner ruled on an appeal filed on June 27th by Mr. Bruce Struthers. The ruling affirmed that SPU may proceed with dredging of Meadowbrook Pond. This means the contractor, SNC-Lavalin Constructors, can mobilize and begin the dredging work immediately. Safety fencing will start going up next week.

The Hearing Examiner’s ruling also separates Mr. Struther’s issues with “Other Improvements,” and a hearing on those has been scheduled for August 14th.
Learn more >

July 9th – Pond Closes until Mid-September

Meadowbrook Pond will close July 9th when fencing will go up around the facility. SPU’s contractor, SNC-Lavalin Constructors, will be mobilizing on the site that week and begin work as soon as possible on the dredging and safety improvements project. The Pond will be closed to the public during the work, which is expected to take until mid-September.

June 12th

Contractor Selected

Seattle Public Utilities has selected SNC-Lavalin Constructors, Inc. to execute the dredging and maintenance improvements to Meadowbrook Pond this summer. Construction will begin mid-July and continue through mid-September. Approved working hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some work on Saturdays may be allowed between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The contractor will need to secure City approval to perform emergency or necessary work outside of these hours.

Reminder

Join us on Saturday June 16th, 10 a.m. to noon for a question and answer drop-in session near the 36th Ave NE street end (at NE 107th). View invitation (pdf)

May 15th

Meeting Documents