King County is seeking public input on plans to redesign the White Center Ponds between SW 100th Street and SW Roxbury Streets and 11th and 12th Aves SW (map below).

They’ve got a 10-question online comment form through their PublicInput platform where they collect public opinion about options for redesigning the ponds to improve water quality, public safety, and other important aspects of this community feature.

The goal of the project is to redesign White Center Ponds so that it is a place that community members want to go to and everyone feels safe in.

The project will also:

    • Increase the size of the ponds so they can hold more stormwater and will stay wet year-round,
    • Improve water quality of stormwater leaving the site,
    • Reduce neighborhood flooding,
    • Improve safety and public amenities in this natural area.

Organizers are relying on input from you and your neighbors to tell them what you think is the best way to do this – please click below to leave your comments:

https://publicinput.com/WhiteCenterPonds

Here’s more info from the county:

Background
The White Center Ponds are a wetland and a stormwater pond facility designed to collect and clean rainwater. By collecting the water after it has run off roads and pavements, pollutants have time to settle out to the bottom of the pond where it can be removed by maintenance crews. Plants growing around the ponds draw pollutants and excess nutrients up into their roots. Plants that grow in the water also trap sticky things like oil and grease and prevent them from washing downstream. This cleaner water then drains into Mallard Lake and Hicklin Lake in Dick Thurnau Park before heading into Salmon Creek and out into Puget Sound.

What’s the problem?
White Center is becoming more developed. When more streets, sidewalks and buildings are added that means there is less soil and plants available to absorb rain. Rainwater instead flows over roads and sidewalks and through storm drains into stormwater ponds. Too much stormwater can flood neighborhood streets and lead to polluted streams and lakes.

Water quality downstream at Hicklin Lake (Lake Hicks) has been poor for years. Toxic algae blooms have led to frequent lake closures and the lake has suffered from high concentrations of phosphorus and bacteria (fecal coliform). Although prior water treatments with alum have had some success, high pollution concentrations have continued to be an issue. This means it is often not safe to swim in, is dangerous for pets, and it isn’t providing good quality habitat for birds or other animals.

The White Center Ponds are a public natural area but many people avoid the area because of safety concerns. The area is very dark at night. The dense vegetation is hard to see through and provides cover for camping especially when the ponds dry out in the summer. The King County Sheriff’s Office is often called to the area in and around the ponds due to illegal activities.

Sign up to hear about opportunities for public input about this project.