Restoring natural areas after construction is an important part of our work. When we work on improving or fixing the regional sewer system, sometimes impacts are unavoidable. When construction impacts sensitive areas and landscapes, our contractor restores the site before the project is complete. That’s what happened at Discovery Park in Seattle, and this spring more than 50 newly planted trees are starting to take root.
Last year, our contractors planted 29 Douglas Fir and 23 Garry Oak trees at Discovery Park after we finished construction on our Water Reservoir Modifications Project. We worked together with Seattle Parks and Recreation to decide where in the park the trees would go and selected five locations along the Loop Trail. After finishing planting, crews applied mulch to help the young trees get established and grow.
Planting these trees marked the final part of the restoration work, which already included restoring impacted trails and the area around a new outfall pipe and diffuser that we installed. Within the restoration area, contractors replanted native prairie plants and shrub species. King County will be controlling weeds and watering native plantings.
The Water Reservoir Modification Project included upgrading two underground reservoirs to ensure safe and efficient access for annual inspections required by Seattle Public Utilities.
The two existing underground tanks are filled with drinkable water (18,000-gallon capacity) and service water (170,000-gallon capacity). They provide drinking water to facilities in Discovery Park including West Point, the lighthouse and drinking fountains, and provide service water for treatment processes at the plant.
