City of Seattle: Cedar River Watershed Education Center

The Cedar River Watershed Education Center provides students of all ages excellent educational opportunities and resources to explore and gain an understanding of their rich cultural and natural heritage in the 90,000 plus acre Cedar River Municipal Watershed, the primary source of drinking water for 1.3 million people in the greater King County area. The $6.08 million Education Center opened on October 2, 2001. Funding for the Center was provided through a partnership between the City of Seattle and the non-profit Friends of the Cedar River Watershed. The Education Center serves about 30,000 visitors a year. The Cedar River Watershed Education Center is under the management of the Cedar and Tolt Watershed Division of Seattle Public Utilities. Public Education Program staff have been offering educational opportunities for more then 10 years.

The Cedar River Watershed Education Center is a regional education facility created as a gathering place to connect people with the source of their water. Nestled above the shores of Rattlesnake Lake in the Cascade foothills near North Bend,the Center is a gateway to the Cedar River Watershed, which provides drinking water for 70% of 1.3 million people living in the greater Seattle area. The Center provides opportunities for thousands of visitors to learn about the complex issues surrounding the region's drinking water, forests and wildlife. It also makes accessible an extraordinary collection of over 9,400 years of human activity in the watershed and offers facilities for conferences, workshops and retreats.