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City Light Employees Help Improve Salmon, Wildlife Habitat Along Duwamish River

Bernie O'Donnell from Seattle City Light and his son Joey, 9, spread mulch at the North Wind Weir Project.

As cloudy skies gave way to bright sunshine, about a dozen volunteers – including Seattle City Light employees – pulled weeds, spread mulch, and collected trash at a 2.5-acre site on the Duwamish River in Tukwila called the North Wind’s Weir project on Oct. 29.

City Light’s volunteer program joined forces with the People for Puget Sound at the restoration project, which will help improve habitat for salmon and other wildlife.

Among the volunteers from City Light were Utility Support Services Director Bernie O’Donnell, his daughter Jamie and son Joey, ages 11 and 9; Communications and Public Affairs Director Suzanne Hartman; Environmental Affairs Strategic Advisor Scott Powell; Kaler Wise, a delivery worker in Office Services; and Internal Communications Manager John Gustafson.

 

Scott Powell from Seattle City Light volunteers on the North Wind Weir Project.

 

The North Wind’s Weir project has long been supported by local, state, and federal agencies and citizen groups working to restore the Duwamish River. In 2001, King County acquired the site, which is in the heart of a critical transition zone where the mixing of salt and fresh water is especially important to juvenile salmon in the watershed. What once was a storage yard for pallets and vehicles is now a thriving estuary ringed by a vegetated marsh and upland areas planted with native trees, shrubs and grasses.

More information on the North Wind’s Weir project is available here.