Hoping salmon run through it

Along the Hylebos Creek's course from its headwaters near the SeaTac Mall parking lot to Tacoma's Commencement Bay, salmon face highway crossings, acres of pavement and the "Death Ditch," a sterile, man-made stretch of river near Interstate 5.

Despite the obstacles and development pressures, volunteers spotted glimmers of hope in 2000 — chinook returning to spawn.

"There are enough signs of biological resilience and diversity that it's not warranted to call (restoration) a lost cause by any means," said Chris Carrel, executive director of Friends of the Hylebos Wetlands.

In an effort to link up the remaining fragments of fish-friendly habitat, Friends of the Hylebos Wetlands today will announce plans to create a 10-mile-long stream and wetlands preserve with the financial backing of government agencies and other conservation groups. Purchasing the land alone could cost $4 million.

"We're hoping this can serve as a model for other urban watersheds," Carrel said.

Known as the Hylebos Creek Conservation Initiative, the plans call for restoration projects, habitat acquisition and bike and foot trails. Though roughly half of the 600-acre future preserve is protected, the parcels are islands of good habitat in a sea of urban development.

"So we've mapped out a way to connect all those areas together and create a continuous corridor of functional habitat for salmon and wildlife all the way down to the waterway," Carrel said.

Historically, one of the most productive salmon streams in the Puget Sound region, Hylebos Creek once was home to strong chinook, chum, coho and steelhead runs.

Heavy development beginning in the late 1970s precipitated severe stream flooding, habitat loss and dwindling fish runs, Carrel said. The construction of SeaTac Mall turned the marshy field that bore the stream into a parking lot.

In 1983, Friends of the Hylebos Wetlands formed to help protect the watershed and restore salmon runs.

In recent years, the group has completed one restoration project after another and found its work well received by the surrounding communities.

Maxine Carpenter, who owns several acres along the creek's east branch, allowed volunteers to begin restoration projects there last year.

Friends of the Hylebos Wetlands is trying to secure funding to purchase the land and permanently preserve it.

"I applaud the conservation effort, and I like the fact that I live right next door to it," she said.

Here, the stream had been moved and the land cleared for development. Flooding and invasion by non-native plants made for poor salmon habitat.

Volunteers removed the concrete blocks that sat snug against the creek's banks, and they planted a variety of native vegetation and installed woody structures to make the stream meander and give juvenile salmon a place to hide.

Already, the small dogwood trees volunteers planted last year have grown taller than the invasive reed canary grass that chokes the surrounding wetlands.

After coursing through developments, the east branch joins the west, crosses under I-5 and enters an engineering creation known as "Death Ditch." The narrow, manmade channel runs between the freeway and Pacific Highway South, near the Fife curve of the freeway.

Here, the state plans to cover the channel with the extension of Highway 167. To mitigate stream degradation, Friends of the Hylebos Wetlands backs a proposal to relocate the stream to what might be its natural location on the east side of the freeway in a large swath of wetlands.

The conservation initiative's restoration and acquisition projects will be funded through a combination of local, state and federal funding, some of which already is secured.

Last week, King County announced it expects to close on a deal that brings the conservation effort 33 acres closer to its goal. The county plans to buy the land from the Federal Way School District for $450,000.

"What's really important is to have something easily accessible for both students and adults to see this unique environment and make them more conscious of the need to preserve suburban land as more and more condominiums and housing are encroaching," said Metropolitan King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer, whose district includes the creek.

"These people don't have the back yards or the nearby parks. Where do they have a chance to go?" he said. "This will provide some unique acreage where these people can get away from the traffic and the stresses of life."

Alison Bickerstaff: 206-464-8349 or abickerstaff@seattletimes.com