King County and the City of Kent Celebrate the Lower Russell Levee Setback

One of the new picnic shelters in use.

King County recently held a celebration to mark the end of the Lower Russell Levee Setback Project and the reopening of City of Kent’s Van Doren’s Landing Park. Principal Geotechnical Engineer Henry H. Haselton, who served as Aspect’s project manager on the project, was in attendance at the culminating event.

At $58M, the Lower Russell Levee Setback Project is one of the largest multi-benefit flood control/ecosystem restoration projects in Washington. It replaced an aging flood control system along an approximately 1.4-mile corridor of the Green River in Kent with a new levee and river revetment system. This new system meets current US Army Corps of Engineers standards, is FEMA certifiable, and strengthens flood protection for nearby homes and businesses. Fish and other river dwellers benefit from the increased water conveyance and shallow, slow water areas created by the new levee setback, engineered log jams, and off-channel embayment, while those on land can enjoy enhancements to the adjacent park, including new play structures, picnic shelters, and a wildlife lookout tower.

New observation tower on the bank of the Green River.

New Mt. Rainier play structure at Van Doren’s Landing Park.

Henry led Aspect’s geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and hydrogeologic services as part of a multidisciplinary design team led by HDR. Our work spanned from reviewing existing site data and mapping in April 2014 through developing levee design alternatives to overseeing geotechnical aspects of construction in late 2022. During that time, our team:

  • Conducted two round of subsurface explorations to supplement existing site data and mapping 

  • Collaborated with the design team to identify and address geotechnical project cost drivers, such as reuse of on-site soils and construction dewatering strategies

  • Developed geotechnical design and construction recommendations for the new setback levee and flood walls

  • Collaborated with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants to design log jams and other aquatic restoration features

  • Provided geotechnical design criteria to the Berger Partnership for new park facilities

  • Evaluated stormwater infiltration feasibility for the park via large-scale pilot infiltration tests

The project’s success is the result of years of close collaboration between King County’s Water and Land Resources Division, the City of Kent, the Muckleshoot Tribe, and the design team. Congratulations to all who contributed to this project with multiple benefits for the environment and community.

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Rivers Edge Levee Setback Project Wins ASCE LOCEA Award

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) honored the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s (JST) Rivers Edge Levee Setback project with its 2022 Local Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (LOCEA) in the Geotechnical category.

The project replaced an aging, constricting levee on the Lower Dungeness River near Sequim with a new levee setback designed to meet modern flood protection standards and aligned to restore the area’s natural floodplain and salmon habitat. Work completed on a compressed, whirlwind schedule. JST acquired the land and started preliminary design in mid-2020, and by September 2021, they’d completed final design, successful navigation of a complex series of permit applications and design reviews, and substantial construction—a monumental feat in just 14 months.

The new levee was constructed in part with gravel from a nearby quarry pit, limiting the cost, time, and environmental impact of importing materials to the site. The project was done in tandem with an adjacent similar levee project by Clallam County, and together they will open up 143 acres of reclaimed floodplain and habitat. You can learn more about the Rivers Edge project in our previous blog post.

Aspect led geotechnical engineering design and construction of the levee as a subconsultant to Pat McCullough and his firm Engineering Services Association (ESA), alongside WEST Consultants for hydrology and hydraulics.

Aspect’s Project Manager and Lead Geotechnical Engineer Andrew Holmson and Project Geotechnical Engineer Mari Otto gave a short presentation on the project during the LOCEA virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 9.  

Other LOCEA Winning Projects

Aspect was also on the winning teams for two projects as geotechnical subconsultants to our frequent teaming partner Osborn Consulting:

  • The City of Kenmore’s new boathouse on the Sammamish River won in the Small Projects and Non-Construction Studies category. We provided foundation redesign support and services during construction of the two-story prefab metal building that is the new home for the Kenmore Community Rowing Club and Northshore School District rowing programs.

  • The City of Sammamish’s Ebright Creek Fish Passage Culvert Replacement was honored in the Water Resources category. Aspect led the geotechnical evaluation for design and construction of two new 30-inch-diameter culverts along busy arterial East Lake Sammamish Parkway. Replacing the outdated culvert was a priority for the City of Sammamish to enhance fish passage and habitat for kokanee salmon. Construction was completed in fall 2021, and the City has already seen an increase in returning kokanee and other fish species passing through this stretch of the creek.

This year’s other LOCEA winners honored during the ceremony were:

  • Climate Pledge Arena Renovation (Thornton Tomasetti) – Structures

  • Northgate Link Extension (MJA) – Transportation and Development

  • 2021 Airfield Pavement Replacement + Infrastructure Upgrade Project (HNTB) – Transportation and Development

  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport North Satellite Modernization (AECOM) – Transportation and Development