The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust has begun its “most ambitious restoration project to date” at Lake Sammamish State Park.

The project, in partnership with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, will rehabilitate 4,600 feet of Issaquah Creek to improve salmon habitat. Issaquah Creek runs between Lake Sammamish and about 13 miles southeast.

According to Katie Egresi, communications manager for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, some locals have noticed large piles of trees at the park and had concerns about logging. To clarify, the trees are being used to aid the restoration project.

Most of the wood, Egresi said, came from fallen trees at the Everett watershed after last November’s bomb cyclone. Other trees were salvaged from the Tiger Mountain Summit Trailhead renovation through the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ Large Wood Supply Initiative, which provides salmon recovery partners with trees from land managed by the Department of Natural Resources.

“It’s all part of a salmon habitat restoration project, building on decades of habitat improvements in the park,” Egresi said.

Historically, Issaquah Creek supports important salmon populations like the Chinook salmon, which are currently threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The restoration is needed after decades of nearby development degraded habitat quality by straightening the creek, removing natural logjams and disconnecting floodplains, according to a news release.

“Put simply, Issaquah Creek is like a house made only of hallways — offering no safe places for salmon to rest, feed or grow,” the news release says. “This project will help restore the stream into a functional, livable home that supports salmon at every stage of life.”

There will be intermittent closures on Issaquah Creek Trail, Boat Launch Trail and Homestead Trail through September. The eastern portion of Homestead Trail and the east soccer field will be closed until the project’s end.

Use of park playgrounds, boat launches and swimming areas will not be disrupted.

The project’s leaders ask park visitors to keep an eye out for signage and abide by all closures.

For more information, visit mtsgreenway.org/lower-issaquah-creek.