The City of Bothell completed preliminary and final design for the Sammamish River Side Channel restoration project, located in the city’s Sammamish River Park, west of 102 Ave NE. The site includes cold water springs providing opportunities for critical cool water refuge during summer months. Once constructed, the final restoration will: a) hydraulically reconnect a relic side channel and floodplain to the Sammamish River at upper and lower ends and to provide accessible off-channel rearing habitat for salmonids, with an emphasis on Chinook and Coho salmon, b) enhance more than 6 acres of reed canary grass dominated relic floodplain wetlands with extensive patches of native scrub-shrub wetland plants, c) replant more than 1 acres of blackberry dominated riparian habitat with native floodplain trees and shrubs, d) utilize the channel cut spoils material to create < 1 acre of elevated floodplain areas suitable for tree plantings, thereby enhancing the vertical riparian forest habitat structure and e) increase opportunities for public involvement and education. A key project in the 2002 Sammamish River Corridor Action Plan, this proposal responded directly to the 2005 WRIA 8 Chinook Recovery Plan identified need to increase off-channel rearing habitat for salmonids throughout the river basin. The preferred design was selected by stakeholders to the Sammamish Side Channel Restoration Feasibility Study (11-1517) completed in 2013 (Preferred Alt 3 with a partial of Alt 1B west of 102nd Ave NE for riparian enhancement). The deliverable final plan and initiation of permits was completed. The project has received its Hydraulic Permit Approval, permit # 2015-4-455 + 01, with expiration of June 25, 2020. The JARPA is in process with Army Corps of Engineers for review of application. Washington State Department of Natural Resources is included in the JARPA review process.