September 28, 2016

Bothell daylights downtown creek as part of new $20M stormwater system

Photo courtesy of City of Bothell [enlarge]

Horse Creek once ran through a pipe in downtown Bothell.

The city of Bothell will cut the ribbon next week on a $19.7 million stormwater system that replaces nearly 3,000 feet of Horse Creek that ran through a pipe downtown.

The system is a hybrid open-channel/culvert running along 98th Avenue Northeast, and officials say it will minimize flooding.

It opens up the stream, provides fish passage and creates a pedestrian-friendly corridor from the Sammamish River to Pop Keeney Field. The system is designed to handle flows exceeding those of a 100-year storm event, and meets fish passage criteria set by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Work was done in two phases by Interwest Construction. The first phase was finished in July 2014, and installed about 350 feet of storm and sanitary sewer line within 98th between Northeast 183rd and 185th streets. New pipes and other utilities were connected between mid-2014 and early 2015.

To help finance the project, the city made deals with several developers that allow them to discharge treated water without using detention vaults in exchange for a fee.

McMenamins, one of the developers, also paid for some of the city's railings and bollards to match those at the nearby Anderson School that McMenamins turned into a hotel, restaurant and bar.

Here is the design team: Pace Engineers, utilities, channel hydraulics and culverts; BergerABAM engineers, structural walls, bridges and street improvements; Gaynor Inc., stream environment/landscape architect; Shannon & Wilson, geotechnical and environmental; HWA GeoSciences, additional soils/geotechnical engineering; Cascade Design Collaborative, urban and streetscape elements; and DKS, illumination.

Subcontractors were Service Electric, Pile Contractors, C&R Tractor and Landscaping, and WallTek Construction.

Parametrix was the construction management company.

Ribbon cutting is set for 10 a.m. Oct. 5 at Bothell Regional Library plaza, 18215 98th Ave. N.E.