Floodplains by Design

Climate change and floodplains

Air & Climate

Floodplains by Design is an ambitious, public-private partnership led by Ecology and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Floodplains by Design works to accelerate integrated efforts to reduce flood risks and restore habitat along Washington's major river corridors. Its goal is to improve the resiliency of floodplains to protect local communities and the health of the environment. Floodplains by Design also supports important Washington values, such as agriculture, clean water, and outdoor recreation. By working together, organizations can align state and federal investments with locally-driven solutions that address floodplain management challenges and create a more sustainable future.

Washington state has been investing in projects using the Floodplains by Design approach since 2013. Project partners share their perspective on the importance of integrated floodplain management.

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Since 2013, Washington’s Legislature has appropriated $359 million to support large-scale, multiple-benefit projects across the state. We administer these funds through a competitive grant program.

The Floodplains by Design grant program has funded the following:

72 projects in 19 counties across Washington, reducing risk in 88 communities.
12,829 homes or structures removed or with reduced flood risk.
173 miles of river restored, protected, or with improved habitat.
8,368 acres of land protected from development.
12,916 acres of floodplain reconnection.
44 new or improved public recreation areas.
21,289 acres of improved working lands.
5,992 new jobs.

Proposed projects for 2027-29

We received 27 pre-applications for the Floodplains by Design grant program's 2027-29 funding round. We have reviewed all pre-applications and determined each one meets eligibility criteria and we invited all the project applicants to submit a full application later this spring. Below, you will find the list of applicants who submitted pre-applications.

Applicant Name	Project Name	Water Resource Inventory Area	County	Associated River/Creek
Aberdeen, City of	North Shore Levee Property Acquisition	22	Grays Harbor	Wishkah River
Benton, City of	Green Acres Mobile Home Park Floodplain Restoration	37	Benton	Yakima River
Chelan County Natural Resources Dept.	Mission Creek – Cashmere Floodplain Assessment	45	Chelan	Mission Creek
Clallam County	Bogachiel River Floodplain & Community Resilience – Phase 1	20	Clallam	Bogachiel River
Columbia Conservation District	Touchet Stream Design & Restoration	32	Columbia	Touchet River
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation	Kartar Creek Floodplain Study	51	Okanogan	Kartar Creek
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation	Beaver/Watson Floodplain Reconnection	35	Columbia	Tucannon River
Forterra NW	Hamilton Floodplain Phase 2 Education, Property Acquisition, & Restoration	3	Skagit	Skagit River
Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group	State Route 33 Estuary Restoration Feasibility	15	Kitsap	Union River
King County Water & Land Resources Division	Lower Miller River Floodplain Restoration	7	King	Miller River
Lincoln County Conservation District	Edwall Drainage Cleanout	43	Lincoln	Bluestem Creek
Mason Conservation District	Skokomish River Flood Mitigation & Habitat Restoration	16	Mason	Skokomish River
Pierce County	Floodplains for the Future 2027-29 Funding Proposal	10	Pierce	Puyallup, White, and Carbon Rivers
Port Angeles, City of	Floodplain Function for Fish & Water Supply on the Elwha River	18	Clallam	Elwha River
Renton, City of	Madsen Creek Restoration & Floodplain Reconnection	8	King	Madsen Creek
Skagit Conservation District	Lower Colony Creek Sub-basin Restoration Phase 4: Implementation	1	Skagit	Colony Creek
Skagit County / Skagit River System Cooperative / Upper Skagit Indian Tribe	North Fork Skagit Property Acquisition	3	Skagit	Skagit River
Snohomish County Surface Water Management	Community Floodplain Solutions – Phase 5 Implementation	7	Snohomish	Snohomish River
Snohomish County Surface Water Management	Community Floodplain Solutions – Stillaguamish Mainstem & Forks Phase 1	5	Snohomish	Stillaguamish River
South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group	Fish, Forest, Flood Coordination & Implementation in the Mashel Subbasin	11	Pierce	Mashel River
Seattle Public Utilities	Royal Arch Reach	8	King	Cedar River
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians	Community Floodplain Solutions in the Stillaguamish Delta	5	Snohomish	Stillaguamish River
Trout Unlimited	Grouse Creek Ranch Restoration on Hangman Creek	56	Spokane	Hangman Creek
Tumwater, City of	Deschutes River Watershed Recovery Phase 1	13	Thurston	Deschutes River
Walla Walla County Conservation District	Yellowhawk Geomorphic Assessment & Prioritization Plan	32	Walla Walla	Yellowhawk Creek
Whatcom County Public Works Department	The Nooksack River: Floodplains that Work – Phase 5	1	Whatcom	Nooksack River
Yakama Nation Fisheries	Taneum River Mile 5 Floodplain Restoration	39	Kittitas	Taneum Creek

Projects build climate resiliency

Learn more about climate action in Washington.

Our Floodplains by Design program is partially supported by funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Passed in 2021, the CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs and improving public health. Some money is being invested in projects that improve floodplains and waterways for salmon.

In 2023, we received $17 million in CCA funding to fund four Floodplains by Design projects. In 2025, we received an additional $16 million in CCA funding to fund two projects.

Under the CCA, applicants seeking funding must share information about the proposed project with Tribal partners and offer to discuss the project. In addition, state agencies administering grant programs that receive CCA funding must offer consultation to federally recognized tribes.

About our grant program

We award grants to eligible entities for collaborative and innovative projects throughout Washington. Projects must support integrating flood hazard reduction with ecological preservation or restoration but may also support other community needs, provided they are part of a larger strategy. Some examples include agricultural viability, safe and sustainable development, and increased recreational access.

Contact information

Amelia Petersen
Floodplains by Design program coordinator
amelia.petersen@ecy.wa.gov
360-480-3298

Alex Rosen
Southwest Washington grant project manager
alex.rosen@ecy.wa.gov
360-810-0027

Sandra Floyd
Central Washington grant project manager
sandra.floyd@ecy.wa.gov
509-571-5679

For a list of counties in each region, visit our Contact Us page.