The Roxhill Bog Committee has been working on this issue for many years attempting to save this important wetland. You can read a detailed timeline and history compiled by the Committee here.
Roxhill bog, at the Longfellow Creek headwaters, is actually a fen, defined as “open wetland systems that generally receive some drainage from surrounding mineral soils and are often covered by grasses, sedges or reeds.”
The importance of this effort is best described as the advocates have themselves: “to provide the community with a safe and engaging natural area for recreation and education… the health of Longfellow Creek, its salmon. and saving of one of the last peat fens in Seattle. Climate change and urbanization have caused Roxhill Bog to degrade to a critical tipping point if not addressed now, restoration of its natural functions may no longer be feasible.”
King County prepared a report in 2000 for Seattle Parks and Recreation which revealed that after the park was replanted the fen was no longer retaining sufficient water and recommended that a hydrological study be conducted to understand why the water was not being retained and how to engineer a solution. Seattle Parks and Recreation did not seek a hydrological study.In 2015, SPU used CCTV to try and determine where the loss of water was occurring, with inconclusive results.
Since taking office in 2016 I have worked with the community on this issue including getting the Seattle Public Utilities and the Department of Parks and Recreation to attend a meeting at the Fen with the community. I’ve provided letters of support to both the American Rivers Association and King County to assist with grant applications. With King County Councilmember Joe McDermott’s support, the community recently received the WaterWorks grant from King Council which will allow the community to proceed with their own hydrological study.
Preservation and rehydration of the fen is so important because the future of salmon species that spawn and rear in Longfellow Creek is at a critical point. Their numbers have diminished. Improving the water quality in the creek is critical to their long-term survivability because of the effects of stormwater pollution on the health of the salmon. A natural hydrologic system that filters stormwater before it reaches the creek will improve water quality and save salmon.
