Longfellow Creek Natural Drainage System (NDS) Project
Enhancing our communities with natural drainage systems and pedestrian improvements.
Welcome!
When it rains in the Delridge and Westwood neighborhoods, pollution from our streets runs into Longfellow Creek untreated. This is not healthy for the creek or for people. The good news is that there is something we can do!
Natural Drainage Systems are built in the roadway shoulder (the space between the street edge and the property line) and are filled with deep-rooted plants and spongy soils that temporarily hold and clean polluted stormwater from streets and sidewalks before the stormwater enters our waterways. Natural drainage systems will improve water quality in Longfellow Creek, a salmon-bearing urban creek, as well as improve stormwater drainage, slow traffic, and increase landscaping. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will maintain the natural drainage systems installed as a part of this project.
SPU is planning to build natural drainage systems in your neighborhood in 2021. For this project, we are partnering with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Office of Arts & Culture through 1% for the Arts, and King County Flood Control District.
Explore this site to:
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Learn about stormwater, why its a problem, and how NDS can help
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Understand the project background including community input and timeline
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View the latest NDS site designs
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Share your questions about construction with the project team