In the winter of 2008-2009, the waterway known primarily as Tributary 0056 began to overflow what had been its pathway through a number of ponds near the gated condominium complex next to Log Boom Park, said Kenmore City Engineer Ron Loewen.

Loewen added the water was diverted into what was supposed to have been an emergency channel. For whatever reason, the creek never went back to its previous course.

According to Loewen, the new path of 0056 has been tearing into the stream bank, not to mention the mouth of the creek where it reaches Lake Washington.

“The pathway isn’t adequate to handle the flow,” Loewen said.

He added that pathway originally was two feet wide. It has spread to six feet. At Lake Washington, the mouth of Tributary 0056 was about two feet across. It is now between 20 to 30 feet wide.

Essentially, Loewen said the city has been losing more and more parkland to 0056 and is in danger of losing additional shoreline.

“Erosion continues to threaten the park,” Loewen said.

The city describes its solution as a re-vegetated armored bank. The bank is designed to withstand waves from a 100-year storm featuring wind speeds of 60 mph and waves as high as 2.5 feet.

Workers will plant willows into the armored bank to provide vegetation. Loewen said seven pieces of in-water woody debris will improve the stream’s habitat.

Loewen said Kenmore contracted with King County to complete what he said was a $70,000 project, not including design costs. He said the city’s schedule called for work to wrap up by early the week of Feb. 14. According to the city’s Web site, project highlights include installation of 100 lineal feet of armored stream bank along the Log Boom Park shoreline.

The city’s schedule had work getting under way Feb. 2. Impacts to park traffic, parking and activities were described as “minor.” A portion of the park was fenced off during construction and several parking spots were blocked, as well.

Tributary 0056 is often named as the source of flooding around Log Boom Park. Loewen said the recent work to the stream bank was not specifically designed to alleviate flooding issues.

“But if we don’t do this, we’ll lose more and more of Log Boom Park,” Loewen said while construction was under way.

Regarding flooding in the area, Loewen said Kenmore undertook an analysis of the 0056 basin last year. He said excess sediment reaching the waterway from private properties was revealed as a major problem.

“That needs to be addressed,” he said, adding city officials hope to talk this year with owners of the properties involved about ways to reduce sediment.

Upper stretches of Tributary 0056 may get some attention in the future. Kenmore resident Elizabeth Mooney of the grassroots group People for an Environmentally Responsible Kenmore (PERK) said the organization applied for a community resource grant from the federal government. If PERK is successful in gaining the grant, Mooney said funds would be used to support restoration of 0056 stream banks, as well as educational programs in Log Boom Park on topics such as Tributary 0056, salmon and other related issues.