The Port of Seattle, the City of Burien, and the City of SeaTac celebrated the completion of a significant Miller Creek Restoration project on Thursday. The project replaced two critical fish passage barriers, created 450 feet of new salmon habitat, and established 1.4 acres of new floodplain to provide additional riparian habitat and flood storage near South 144th Street and Des Moines Memorial Drive South, just north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
The interlocal project, which is part of Burien’s Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA) strategy, is a significant step in regional salmon recovery. Its completion links upstream Burien restoration projects with the Port’s almost 2 miles of stream habitat mitigation along Miller Creek to the north and west of the runways, creating a contiguous ecosystem.
The Port of Seattle contributed $800,000 in funding and provided land necessary for the project. It also supplied nearly 20 logs salvaged from its 2019 Flight Corridor Management Program — a practical way to responsibly steward both its environmental and its financial resources.
"The restoration of Miller Creek clearly demonstrates that local governments can significantly enhance the region’s environment and quality of life when we align our interests across jurisdictions,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman. "The power of the Port's collaboration with the cities of Burien and SeaTac has resulted in the removal of barriers to salmon migration which create critical connections to habitat restoration work further upstream. These connections will also increase the number of salmon in Puget Sound, to the benefit of fishermen and whales alike."
"This project is another milestone to celebrate in the City's progress toward delivering on plans to shape a better future for our community and the environment we share," said Burien Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore.
"SeaTac knows how important it is to keep Miller Creek healthy, as detailed in our Stormwater Management Action Plan," said City of SeaTac Mayor Mohamed Egal. "In addition to the previously mentioned benefits to Miller Creek, this project also resolved a stormwater infrastructure problem after realigning the creek to flow through the new underpass. This allowed for the removal of a failing drainage culvert in Des Moines Memorial Drive South that could have compromised the structural integrity of the roadway."
Construction began in the spring of 2023 and was temporarily halted in February 2024 before being completed this fall. The project also provides new amenities along the Miller Creek Trail for everyone to enjoy, contributing to the area’s integrated public trail system.
Contact
Kassie McKnight-Xi | Aviation Communications and Marketing Manager
(206) 787-5940 | [email protected]
