The King County Flood Control District administers the Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program, which supports medium and small-scale flood reduction projects throughout King County, Washington. The program honors the late Steve Bleifuhs, a long-time public servant instrumental in flood hazard management for the county. In 2025, at least $13 million is available in funding.
Applications will be accepted from April 1, 2025, through May 23, 2025, with a final submission deadline at 11:59 PM. Projects must provide flood reduction benefits, promote public good, and generally involve on-the-ground improvements. Four categories of grants are offered: Original Flood Reduction, Urban Streams, Coastal Erosion/Coastal Flooding, and Culvert Replacement/Fish Passage. Projects may include site assessment, design, and permitting phases if ultimately leading to construction.
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, special purpose districts, Tribes, cities and towns within King County, and King County agencies. Homeowner associations and schools are eligible only for the Original Flood Reduction Grant category. While there is no minimum or maximum award limit, past awards have ranged from $10,000 to $1,500,000. Matching funds are encouraged but not required.
All awarded project funds must be expended within 36 months of signing the grant agreement. Ineligible projects include those causing habitat degradation, those listed on the King County Flood Control District’s 6-year CIP list, compensatory mitigation projects, or projects addressing private building flooding via structural modifications.
Applications must be submitted through the online portal. Assistance is available from Kim Harper at Kim.Harper@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-6079. Applicants are encouraged to review detailed project evaluation criteria and scoring documents.
