Shoreline Neighbors,
Here is the latest on two matters of concern to lakeshore property owners along the east side of Lake Sammamish.
East Lake Sammamish Trail
As you are probably aware, construction has started on the next-to-last segment of the trail, from SE 33rd to roughly the 900 block SE, north of Mint Grove. The most recent estimate from the county is that construction of the last segment, north to roughly Inglewood Hill Road, is “anticipated to begin” in January of next year.
The county is now claiming the entire rail corridor is “public land” and has stated the intent to charge adjacent property owners to cross it and to charge rent on any so-called “encroachments” – gardens, landscaping, structures, etc. – that they decide to allow to remain. Note that this applies to the full width of the former rail corridor, not just the portion the county needs for the trail. This is despite the fact that the county’s claim of ownership of the entire rail corridor has not been substantiated in court.
If you have been impacted by this new, broader imposition of control by the county, SHO needs to hear from you. We need some good examples of this abuse in order to take action. Please contact SHO at sho5.org@gmail.com or by calling 425-868-7899. Or if you know of a neighbor who is being subjected to this please tell them to get in touch with us.
High lake water levels
As previously reported, the Bellevue group Washington Sensible Shorelines Association (WSSA) has been trying to get the county – and the King County Flood Control District (FCD) in particular – to address the problem of damaging extreme high water events like the one that occurred in February of last year. A SHO board member has been working with WSSA in this regard.
The main problem is that development in the Bear Creek basin has resulted in dramatically increased discharge from Bear Creek into the Sammamish River just downstream of Marymoor Park. This creates a backwatering effect during periods of high rainfall that essentially stops the lake from draining. In effect, the lake becomes a storage basin and fills to extreme levels. This is a tough problem to solve, but a practicable near-term solution appears to exist in the form of a “dynamic weir” that could be constructed at Marymoor. The FCD has, for several years, stated its intent to contract with a consultant to study the feasibility of a dynamic weir, but so far it has not happened.
For more information about this issue visit the WSSA website at: sensibleshorelines.org
SHO Board of Directors
Mail SHO at:
Sammamish HomeOwners
167 E Lk Sammamish Sh Ln NE
Sammamish, WA 98074