King County used this funding to acquire 20 acres of floodplain along the Lower Cedar River in a reach with some of the most natural existing riverine and riparian habitat downstream of the protected Cedar River Watershed. The site encompasses the downstream half of a meander bend refered to as Rainbow Bend. This purchase is part of a large-scale joint effort between Seattle and King County to protect and restore the entire bend (approx. 40 acres) and it helps create the largest floodplain restoration opportunity on the river. The Lower Cedar River supports some of the most significant salmon runs in the region including wild Chinook (ESA-listed as "Threatened" and the determined at high risk by a recent TRT ecological analysis), sockeye, coho, and steelhead. The Cedar River Chinook population is the highest priority for projects in the WRIA 8 Conservation Strategy because it is the most genetically distinct and at the greatest risk. In addition to the acquisition, Seattle has set aside roughly $1 million for restoration of the entire 40 acres. The restoration goal is to reconnect the river with its floodplain and restore the structure and function of the riparian habitat. This project is a key recommendation in the WRIA 8 Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan and is on the WRIA 8 Three Year Implementation List. This project ranks high in the Lower Cedar River Basin and Non-point Pollution Action Plan and the King County Flood Hazard Reduction Plan.