2022 Annual Water Resources Conference Field Trips

IMPORTANT: In order to receive important communication from the AWRA Team about your conference participation, you must add [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] to your safe sender list.

NOTICE: This is not a hybrid conference.

UPDATED: August 24, 2022

Self-organized Field Trip Options

In years past, AWRA would organize official field trips for attendees on the day before conference activities begin. This year instead of official field trips, AWRA is helping you organize your own Seattle excursions via the suggestions below. If you would like to organize a field trip among your peers at the conference, click the button next to each option to complete a form. Then connect with other attendees interested in the same activity, plan dates and times, arrange transportation, handle logistics, etc. Attendees are responsible for covering any associated costs. Can't find something cool in this list?  Seattle has everything from kayaking to comedy clubs, ax throwing to art galleries, museums to markets, dancing, and live music. Search for whatever you fancy or check out additional resources near the bottom of this page.

There is no set schedule for these activity suggestions, though Sunday and then weekday evenings will likely afford more opportunities without conflicting with conference events. Be sure to check the hours of whatever venue you decide to explore to ensure they are open.

Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park North Water Walk Improvements

Project Description: The purpose of the project is to increase light penetration and replace treated timber components at the Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park North Water Walk (Water Walk) along with other maintenance activities. The Water Walk provides recreational facilities and amenities to the local community including piers with walkways along the water, swimming beach, children’s play area, boat launch, restaurants, picnic shelters, trails, and more.

The project is in planning phases, construction is anticipated to start in winter 2022 where the existing concrete deck will be removed and replacing with light-penetrating grated decking supported on new steel girders. The existing picnic floats will be replaced with new aluminum framing, plastic timber, and light penetrating decking. The grated gangways and timber step runs will also be replaced with light penetration decking. All treated timber components, including step risers, fascia boards and bull rails will be replaced with plastic timber. In total, approximately 8,172 square feet fiberglass light penetrating grating with supporting steel beams will be installed. Pile wrapping to prevent pile corrosion is also proposed along with minor repairs to existing pile caps and painting of the pilot house.

Current concrete decking is solid and prevents any light transmission. The project will result in a net functional decrease of over-water structure shading and is therefore considered to be self-mitigating.

No upland disturbance is included as part of this project, including no tree removal.

Shown from left to right: figure 1 View of the current Water Walk looking south that will be replaced; figure 2 View of the current picnic area that will be upgraded and replaced; figure 3 General vicinity of Coulon Park looking east.

Pike Place Market | Downtown Seattle

The Pike Place Market has been a defining Seattle icon for more than a century. Considered by many “the soul of Seattle,” the Market spans nine historic acres in the center of downtown where everyday locals and tourists alike shop, visit, eat and discover.

Founded in 1907, the Market is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States and is brought to life by the hundreds of farmers, crafters, small businesses, and residents that call it “home”.

While the Market is grounded by its incredible collection of diverse businesses, activities, and services, it simply would not exist without the passion and support from the citizens of Seattle. From humble beginnings to nearly being destroyed – Seattle’s citizens have brought their hearts to the “soul of Seattle”.

Ballard Locks | Ballard Area of Seattle, WA

The Ballard Locks carry more boat traffic than any other lock in the U.S., and the locks, along with the fish ladder and the surrounding Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens, attract more than one million visitors annually, making it one of Seattle's top tourist attractions. The construction of the locks profoundly reshaped the topography of Seattle and the surrounding area, lowering the water level of Lake Washington and Lake Union by 8.8 feet (2.7 m), adding miles of new waterfront land, reversing the flow of rivers, and leaving piers in the eastern half of Salmon Bay high and dry. The Locks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and have been designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The Museum of Flight | Renton, WA

The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world! With over 175 aircraft and spacecraft, tens of thousands of artifacts, millions of rare photographs, dozens of exhibits and experiences and a world-class library, the Museum and its people bring mankind's incredible history of flight to life.

Renton Sailing

While visiting Renton, why not check out the sport of sailing! The Renton Sailing Center offers lessons, classes and rentals. For more information, please check out their website - https://www.rentonsailing.org/.

Ivar’s Seafood Bar

Visit the most iconic Pacific Northwest Restaurant with award-winning seafood. This casual, local chain is situated along the shores of south Lake Washington.

Cougar Mountain Park = Million Dollar Views…

Hit the trails! A 3,000+ acre Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park with over 35 miles of trails. For more information, please check out King County’s website for details and maps.

The Landing in Renton

This outdoor shopping plaza offers over 56 shops, restaurants, services and a movie theater!

The Jimi Hendrix Memorial

This memorial and tribute to a rock and roll legend is located in the Greenwood Memorial Park cemetery in Renton.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is less than 12 miles from Renton. Take the train, bus, taxi/uber and be there in less than 30 mins!! Check out Rome2Rio for all of the transportation options, travel times and costs.

Cedar River Gravel Removal Project

Photo to the left was taken from Logan Ave N, looking north. In 2016, the City of Renton completed maintenance dredging of the lower 1.25 miles of the Cedar River, from the mouth at Lake Washington to the Williams Avenue South bridge. This section of the Cedar River is commonly referred as Cedar River Section 205, in reference to Section 205 of the 1948 Flood Control Act which authorizes the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to study, design, and construct small flood control projects in partnership with non-Federal government agencies, such as cities, counties, special authorities, or units of state government. Ongoing sediment deposition along the lower river gradually reduces conveyance capacity and reduces flood protection over time. In 1998-1999, Renton and the USACE collaborated on the Cedar River Section 205 project which added levees along the left and right banks and completed the first dredging of the reach downstream of Williams Ave. The City’s agreement with the USACE, executed following the completion of the project, obligates the city with monitoring sediment levels in order to evaluate how close the riverbed is getting to the “maximum bed profile” which when reached, would require a new maintenance dredge project. Sediment surveying and monitoring also helps to determine the flow based upon which Boeing would need to raise the South Boeing Bridge which connects their 737 aprons.

The warning level was reached in 2011 and the city began the planning, design and permitting of the recent dredging project. An individual Section 404 permit from the USACE was required. Upon the issuance of the permit, the Project was bid and awarded to Gary Merlino Construction Company on May 16, 2016. Project construction began in June 2016; the dredging (in-water) portion was completed in September 2016, and the land work portion was completed in November 2017.

As part of this project, 95,282 cubic yards of material was dredged from the Cedar River, approximately the top 4 ft of sediment along the riverbed. Excavators built and used gravel benches in the stream and moved them around as needed throughout construction to achieve the desired amount of dredging. 29 tidal gates were fitted at the outfalls discharging to the Cedar River. 1,803 tons of bedding stone and 5,251 tons of riprap were used to stabilize the riverbank in the sections where it eroded and required maintenance. Mitigation plantings were completed, and a vegetated wall was constructed.

Southport John’s Creek Project

As part of the Southport development in 2016, a concrete box culvert was installed along John’s Creek where the road that serves the development was built. The culvert is approximately 25-ft wide and 9-ft high and was designed to be fish passable and causing no change to the 100-year water surface elevation in John’s Creek.

REGISTRATION NOTE & CANCELATION POLICY

All conference participants (presenters, moderators, panelists, attendees, etc.) must adhere to the AWRA Code of Conduct and must register at the appropriate registration rate. AWRA Gateway members are not eligible for discounted conference rates. The registration fees are the major source of funding for the Conference, and the sharing of registrations is prohibited - every person attending the conference must register. For presenters, if two or more individuals will be presenting, each individual must register for the conference. This includes: all technical session presenters; all panel session presenters; and all poster session presenters.

Cancelations must be made in writing. We can transfer your registration to someone else by October 19, 2022. Those cancelations received by October 19, 2022 will be subject to a processing fee of 25% of total fees. No refunds will be given after October 19, 2022. If you test positive for COVID-19 three days prior to or on the first day of the conference, AWRA will issue a credit* to your account less a 25% processing fee after the conclusion of the conference. *A note from your physician must be provided to AWRA in order to receive the credit. Abstract submission fees are nonrefundable. Refunds will be processed after the conclusion of the conference.