King County Water and Land Resources
The Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) is at the forefront of King County’s efforts to protect and restore clean water and healthy habitat and strengthen the resilience of communities, environment, and infrastructure in the face of climate change. We are a dedicated workforce of more than 450 supported by an annual budget of ~$280 million. WLRD has a strong track record of developing innovative strategies to protect working farms and forests, restore habitat, improve water quality, and provide county residents with equitable access to green space. We house the Land Conservation Initiative, which aims to preserve our last, most important lands. Our forestry and agricultural programs help individuals protect their lands and support local food production. We house four salmon recovery forums where we collaborate with scores of partners to plan, design, and build habitat projects. We partner with regional jurisdictions to help residents and businesses reduce the threats posed by production, use, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. We are the primary service provider to the King County Flood Control District, contributing to flood preparedness and constructing and maintaining facilities that restore rivers and reduce risk. Our one true local service to unincorporated King County is stormwater management, protecting water quality, reducing flooding, and building and maintaining facilities. Finally, we provide regional science and laboratory services to an array of customers, maintaining high-quality data sets used to assess water quality and habitat trends, and provide Best Available Science to inform decision making. In two words, we are a watershed utility.
The Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) is at the forefront of King County’s efforts to protect and restore clean water and healthy habitat and strengthen the resilience of communities, environment, and infrastructure in the face of climate change. We are a dedicated workforce of more than 450 supported by an annual budget of ~$280 million. WLRD has a strong track record of developing innovative strategies to protect working farms and forests, restore habitat, improve water quality, and provide county residents with equitable access to green space. We house the Land Conservation Initiative, which aims to preserve our last, most important lands. Our forestry and agricultural programs help individuals protect their lands and support local food production. We house four salmon recovery forums where we collaborate with scores of partners to plan, design, and build habitat projects. We partner with regional jurisdictions to help residents and businesses reduce the threats posed by production, use, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. We are the primary service provider to the King County Flood Control District, contributing to flood preparedness and constructing and maintaining facilities that restore rivers and reduce risk. Our one true local service to unincorporated King County is stormwater management, protecting water quality, reducing flooding, and building and maintaining facilities. Finally, we provide regional science and laboratory services to an array of customers, maintaining high-quality data sets used to assess water quality and habitat trends, and provide Best Available Science to inform decision making. In two words, we are a watershed utility.