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About the King County Shoreline Master Program
Overview and Goals, Shoreline Master Program
In 1972, Washington State Voters approved the Shoreline Management Act by public referendum. The Shoreline Management Act has three broad policy goals:
- Protect shoreline natural resources, including "...the land and its vegetation and wildlife, and the water of the state and their aquatic life..."
- Promote public access: "the public's opportunity to enjoy the physical and aesthetic qualities of natural shorelines of the state shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible consistent with the overall best interest of the state and the people generally."
- Encourage water-dependent uses: "uses shall be preferred which are consistent with control of pollution and prevention of damage to the natural environment, or are unique to or dependent upon use of the states' shorelines..."
The Shoreline Management Act recognizes that "the shorelines of the state are among the most valuable and fragile of its natural resources." In order to protect this fragile resource, the Shoreline Act requires counties and cities to develop plans and adopt regulations to "prevent the inherent harm in an uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the state's shorelines."
The Shoreline Management Act applies to all marine shorelines, such as Puget Sound, and larger lakes and rivers. It also applies to upland areas within 200 feet of the shoreline edge, floodplains and associated wetlands.
Learn about shorelines
View our award-winning Life on the Edge videos:
- River shoreline video for information about river shorelines and their ecology;
- Saltwater shorelines video for information about marine shorelines;
- Lake Shorelines video to learn more about lake shorelines.
30 Years of Growth
In the nearly 30 years since King County's Shorelines Program was adopted, significant development has taken place throughout the county. King County's population has grown by more than 500,000 people since 1980 (King County 2004 Annual Growth Report) and we have seen the addition of numerous new businesses and housing developments, and several new cities.
- Example of changes: Cedar River Shoreline Changes from 1936 to 2002
Shoreline Management in Washington State:
A Legislative and Regulatory History as it Relates to King County
| 1972 | The Citizens of Washington State adopted shoreline regulations by a public referendum. These were codified in Title 90.58* of the RCW (Shoreline Management Act of 1971). |
| 1972 | Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act. |
| 1972 | The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) adopted Shoreline Management Guidelines. |
| 1975 | King County adopted its Shoreline Master Program under KCC Title 25 - Shoreline Management. |
| November 2000 | The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) adopted new Shoreline Management Guidelines. |
| December 2000 | A coalition of business groups and local governments challenged the new Guidelines. |
| August 2001 | The Washington State Shoreline Hearings Board invalidated the new Guidelines. |
| September 2001 to December 2002 | Washington State sponsored successful mediation between Ecology and the plaintiffs. |
| December 2002 | The parties agreed on new Proposed Draft Shoreline Management Guidelines (Version 9/18/2002). |
| May 2003 | Washington State Legislature adopts new timetable for updating local Shoreline Master Programs - King County's is due in 2009. See SSB 6012. |
| June 2003 | Ecology Publishes Proposed Rule Making for Public Comment. The comment period is from July 16 - September 15, 2003. See Ecology's new Shoreline Master Program Guidelines. |
| January 2004 | Shoreline Management Guidelines effective January 17, 2004. |
| May 2007 | First Draft Shoreline Master Program Update and Technical Appendix |
| September 2007 | Second Draft Shoreline Master Program Update and Technical Appendix |
| October 2008 | Third Draft Shoreline Master Program Update and Technical Appendix |
| February 2009 | Fourth Draft Shoreline Master Program Update and Technical Appendix |
| November 2009 | Executive Recommended Shoreline Master Program Update and Technical Appendix |
| November 2010 | King County Council adopts Shoreline Master Program Update |
| February 2012 | Ecology starts review of King County Shoreline Master Program Update |
| September 2012 | Ecology conditional approval of King County Shoreline Master Program Update, subject to adoption of required amendments |
| December 2012 | King County Council adopts Ecology required amendments |
| January 2013 | Ecology approves King County Shoreline Master Program Update |
| *external link |
For more information about shoreline management in King County, please contact Laura Casey, environmental scientist, Department of Local Services.