Lake Sammamish Dock and Shoreline Grants Program

Community engagement

King County, as service provider to the King County Flood Control District, will host the following informational sessions to support Lake Sammamish shoreline residents applying for grant funds.

• The first informational session option was held on Tuesday, July 8. Watch the session recording here. 
• The second informational session option was held on Monday, July 14. Watch the session recording here.

We also have an online open house and welcome comments or questions there. You can also reach out to the project team at lakesammamishgrants@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-2677.

Program overview

The King County Flood Control District (District) created the Lake Sammamish Dock and Shoreline Grant Program to fund flood risk reduction projects for Lake Sammamish shoreline infrastructure, particularly docks and outbuildings, and shoreline erosion control. This is a pilot grant program with total funding of $1,000,000. The grant program aims to address two major problems in Lake Sammamish.

Lake Sammamish shoreline properties can flood as lake levels rise and fall, including from water entering the lake from creeks. More can be learned at the Lake Sammamish Flooding Frequently Asked Questions website.

The shading from docks and other over water structures are harmful to fish in lakes, especially at critical life stages. Light reduction or shading caused by over-water or in water structures can lower survival of aquatic plants. Aquatic plants provide food, breeding areas, and protective nurseries for fish life. Dock and shoreline shading can also make young salmon more at risk to being eaten by predators.

 

Funding details & timing

• Grant funds can be used for technical assistance for the design and permitting of projects, as well as construction. Each grant will be capped at $100,000. All grants will require a 25% cash match.
  • Example of a match, if the project will cost $40,000, you could apply for a $30,000 grant and would need to provide $10,000 from your own funds or another source.
• There is no minimum. The maximum grant amount will be $100,000.
• Funds will be available in the first quarter of 2026 and funds must be spent within 36 months.
• The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm on August 15, 2025.

Grant Eligibility

Only Lake Sammamish shoreline, single-family homeowners are eligible to apply. Grant funds can be used for technical assistance for the design and permitting of projects, as well as construction. All projects, whether or not they have complete site plans or permits yet, are eligible to apply.

Eligible projects include:

• Replacement of fixed docks with floating docks
• Green shoreline erosion control or planting projects
• Relocation of outbuildings to a location outside flood hazard areas

Projects must be located along the Lake Sammamish shoreline and may not create or increase flooding elsewhere on the Lake or in the Sammamish River. The eligible locations are in the cities of Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, and Bellevue. All projects will need to meet minimum standards for salmon protection to secure city, state, and federal permits.

Ineligible Projects

• Projects may not create or increase flooding elsewhere on the Lake or in the Sammamish River.
• Public sector property owners and those who rent or lease property in Lake Sammamish or along the Lake Sammamish shoreline are excluded from this grant opportunity.
• Projects cannot include the creation of a new dock, unless it is to replace a fixed dock.

Application portal

To complete an application, access the online application portal. Click on “Create New Account” and follow the instructions given. If you already have an account, then use the password you created previously.

Once you are in the system, you will see an “Apply” button at the top of the page. That will lead you to the application for the 2025 Lake Sammamish Dock and Shoreline Grants Program.

To view the application questions prior to opening an application, click here for the list of questions. Be prepared to submit photos and a vicinity map of the project site, at a minimum.

The deadline to apply is 11:59pm on August 15, 2025.

For more information or help with the application process, please contact lakesammamishgrants@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-6079.

Project criteria

Note: Applicants should review the Summary of Criteria for Scoring Document for further information.

All projects must meet the following requirements:

1. The proposed project must be located along the Lake Sammamish shoreline and be owned by a single-family homeowner.
2. The proposed project can include all aspects of project design, permitting, and construction for:
   • Replacement of fixed docks with floating docks
   • Green shoreline erosion control or planting projects
   • Relocation of outbuildings to a location outside of the flood hazard area
3. All projects will need to meet minimum standards for salmon protection to secure city, state, and federal permits.

In addition to those general requirements, projects must meet the following criteria/guidelines:

• Project descriptions must describe how this will reduce risk of flood damage.
• For shoreline stabilization, projects must confirm that the project will not result in any increase in hard armored shorelines such as bulkheads, seawalls, or revetments.
• For construction, project applicants cannot serve as their own contractor, even if they are licensed in Washington state.

Evaluation process

King County Water and Land Resources Division staff will process applications on behalf of the King County Flood Control District. King County staff will verify location of project site in relation to lake elevation and if an application meets minimum criteria. The grant review team, including King County staff, may view project sites from the water to evaluate proposals. Technical summaries will be provided to the selection team for consideration during scoring. The selection team will evaluate each eligible proposal using this scoring criteria.

Following scoring, the selection team will develop a list of recommended projects for funding to submit to the King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors for final decisions. Notification of award will be sent via email in late November of 2025.

Outbuildings

Outbuildings are generally secondary structures such as boat houses or other storage facilities that are not residential in nature.

Shoreline erosion control
These projects include soft shoreline armoring and planting projects intended to slow shoreline erosion while providing habitat benefits for fish.

Technical assistance
Technical assistance is advice provided to landowners to assist them with specific aspects of project implementation such as navigating the application system, managing a grant from King County, applying for permits, and other topics as needed.

 

A flooded dock on Lake Sammamish in 2006.

Project goals

• Reduce impacts of flooding on shoreline structures.
• Distribute funding to Lake Sammamish single-family homeowners for dock and shoreline projects.
• Provide shoreline erosion control and salmon habitat improvements.

Project schedule (subject to change)

Date	Activity
Winter/Spring 2025	Program Development
June 12, 2025	Grant Application Opens
August 15, 2025	Grant Applications Due
Summer 2025	Project Selection Process
Fall 2025	Funding Recommendations Approved and Contracting Initiated

Informational resources

• Shoreline improvement
  • Green Shorelines for Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish
• Shoreline regulations and permitting
  • Restoration and Permitting Program for Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish
  • Streamlined Permitting and Incentives for Green Shorelines
• Best practices for Lake Sammamish shoreline residents
  • Shoreline Resident Programs from Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
• Lake Sammamish background & history
  • Lake Sammamish Flooding FAQ
  • The Lake Sammamish Story
  • Lake Sammamish kokanee
  • Sammamish Watershed