Spring has sprung at Salmon-Safe certified Carnation Farms and so have two new rain gardens! Over the past couple of months the Snoqualmie Stewardship Team has been planning, designing and installing two new rain gardens on the farm. They worked closely with Eric Popp, Carnation Farms Director of Regenerative Agriculture, to plan the location of the rain gardens. Eric even provided excavator training for the crew. These rain gardens will filter over 50,000 gallons of water a year and act as great demonstration gardens and talking points about stormwater management and the extra mile Carnation Farms is going to operate sustainably!
As a sustainable, Salmon-Safe certified farm our commitment to ensuring water quality runs deep. Because we recycle millions of gallons of water from our facilities each season, managing runoff is a daily concern for our agricultural operations. Rain gardens help us ensure we think about runoff holistically, beyond just what we use in our fields and facilities. Filtering water from our gutter systems through rain gardens ensures that we are mitigating our water quality impact on the greater environment surrounding the farm, ensuring the long term health of our ecosystem.
Eric Popp, Carnation Farms Director of Regnerative Agriculture
Be sure to visit Carnation Farms for their annual plant sale and Spring Market May 1, 2, 8 & 9! While you’re there stop by the rain garden and talk to Geoff Bough. He’ll be there providing stormwater management education and talking about the rain gardens. Check out all their upcoming events here: https://events.carnationfarms.org/events/
The Rose Family Foundation and King County Flood District provided Flood Reduction Funds for these projects.
We were sold out and at full capacity, and even a surprise snowfall didn’t keep people away. The room was full, the energy was high, and there was a clear sense from the start that this community had shown up ready to engage around the theme of building the green infrastructure community.
We opened the day with remarks from Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson, whose leadership set the tone in a powerful way. What stood out most wasn’t just his vision, but his authenticity. He leads not only with ideas, but with heart—speaking candidly about what it takes to build stronger, more equitable communities, and demonstrating a willingness to say the hard things if it means moving us forward. It was a reminder that real leadership in this space requires both courage and conviction.
Throughout the day, that spirit carried forward. The agenda was rich, the conversations were thoughtful, and the level of engagement in the room was palpable. Between sessions, you could see connections forming—people leaning in, exchanging ideas, and building the relationships that ultimately make this work possible. There was a shared recognition that we are part of something larger than any one project or organization.
We closed with reflections from Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, who offered a grounding and inspiring perspective. He spoke about the humility he sees in this community—a willingness to trust natural systems and to work with, rather than against, nature. This is a new paradigm, one that asks us to listen, adapt, and partner with the environments we’re working to protect.
Taken together, the day felt like a clear signal of momentum. The challenges in front of us are real, but so is the collective energy, creativity, and commitment in this community. If the Summit showed us anything, it’s that when we come together—bringing both head and heart to the work—we are capable of building something truly transformative.
With gratitude to everyone who showed up fully and continues to push this work forward. Written by Stewardship Partners Board Member Rose Jordan
Many thanks to our wonderful speakers, host committee, sponsors, advisory committee, volunteers, and everyone who was able to attend. We recognize and appreciate the time and energy you put in. Huge shout-out to the team at Touch Worldwide! If you like what you saw at the Summit, make sure to check them out for all your branding and event needs.
Get your tickets now for Kraken’s Green Night on April 2nd, presented by our partners at Boeing! A portion of this Common Thread special ticket purchase will go to Stewardship Partners, as the Kraken continue to honor the Climate Pledge and join the cause for sustainability! We hope you will join us and cheer on the Kraken as they take on the Utah Mammoth! Please use this specific link to purchase tickets.
We are excited to ask you to save the date for the 2026 Green Infrastructure Summit of the Salish Sea which will be held on March 13th, 2026.
You can request to join our Summit email list to receive further emails as we send out a call for abstracts for the Summit and tickets become available for purchase. You can also find the most up to date information on our webpage.
Our generous sponsors allow us to offer this collaborative event annually. Learn more about sponsorships here and please reach out to us if you are interested in sponsoring the Summit.
Our Adopt-a-Downspout program has been in full swing this year! Stewardship Partners is expanding our pilot program in Seattle to capture and treat polluted runoff with biofilter boxes, known as Boxes of Rain. 6PPDQ is a toxic chemical that originates from vehicle tires and kills coho salmon and many other fish species. On average, a Box of Rain filters out 92% of 6PPDQ from polluted stormwater before it enters local waterways.
After the success of our pilot program under the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge and securing $1 million of funding last year for this program, we are continuing to grow momentum! Earlier this summer, we installed 2 more Boxes of Rain underneath the I-405 to I-90 HOV on-ramp in Bellevue. This site along with 2 more Boxes of Rain to be installed at the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge will be monitored for effectiveness as we pursue a TAPE certification. This approved best management practice by the Department of Ecology will verify the value in Box of Rain technology and encourage more installations statewide.
As we work to install more boxes for cleaner water and healthier salmon, we have created a Design Guide, Installation Guide, and Operations & Maintenance Guide for Boxes of Rain. These guides are publicly available on our website and will be used by Stewardship Partners to facilitate helping new interested partners in replicating sites with our expert guidance. Our staff have presented at various conferences this year to inform others of this effective resource to protect our water, including the Green Tribal Summit just last week.
Amazing Adopt-a-Downspout Volunteers from Northwest Fly Anglers
Inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and motivate students to care about stormwater and their local streams! StormFest and the Highline School District is seeking applicants to support StormFest, an interactive stormwater festival for Highline Public Schools 6th grade students June 10th-12th.
StormFest is recruiting both educators (stipend available) and volunteers. No experience as an educator is necessary as training will be provided. Applications are due May 12th. Head to the StormFest website to learn more!
