There will no longer be blasting of rock alongside the Raging River in Fall City.

In October, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks completed its purchase of the third of three land parcels along the Raging River and Preston-Fall City Road that were once the Raging River Quarry.

The land, part of the Raging River Natural Area, covers 51 acres, with 41 acres of forest, and includes 2,100 feet of shoreline — all of which is now preserved as open space.

“The county’s interest in the land is to help conserve upland and riparian forest, while protecting water quality and fish habitat within the adjacent Raging River — one of the most important stretches of water for chinook salmon spawning in the Snoqualmie River Watershed,” said King County spokesperson Doug Williams. “Preserving and restoring the Raging River Natural Area protects and enhances habitat for six native salmon species. Shoreline and upland forests provide wildlife habitat and help protect the watershed’s water quality. ”

King County’s effort to purchase the lands began in 2017, and the purchases themselves occurred from 2020-2024.

In the short-term, Williams said the county plans on maintaining the site, conducting habitat restoration work and monitoring the post-quarry reclamation drainage, making sure the quarry’s runoff doesn’t cause damage.

Future plans include “early engagement and consultation with affected tribes and community and partner engagement through a public planning process,” he said.

Any future uses of the site would be part of the next King County Parks Levy, planning for which starts in 2026. Williams said these efforts will be cross-jurisdictional with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, which is the adjacent landowner to the south.

The road to ownership

In 2015, the quarry’s new owner, John Priebe, had it up and running again, to the dismay of many Fall City residents. Complaints made to King County argued that an active quarry no longer aligned with the needs of the community as it did when the quarry was last operational decades earlier. With more than 50 residences now within a quarter mile of the quarry, the blasts were shaking houses and leaving debris on private property.

“The blast on the quarry property on Friday, Dec. 16, tilted pictures on the walls of my house,” a longtime Fall City resident complained. “The blast came without warning. This activity is supposed to be monitored for compliance with earth movement and sound wave strength and distance.”

They added, “Since the blasting has started last spring, our well is contaminated with silt to such a degree that the bottom of our holding tank is full and the water is now carrying silt into our home water system.”

In June 2016, the Snoqualmie Valley Record reported that King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER) had temporarily shut down operations at the quarry due to the noise complaints. In regular operations, the quarry had a maximum noise limit of 57 decibels; a DPER inspector told the Record it was operating “pretty steadily between 64 and 70” decibels.

The quarry’s owner took steps to lower noise levels, but locals were officially fired up when the quarry filed an application to expand the area available for extraction by about 25 acres.

Cue the Raging River Conservation Group. Formed not long after quarry operations resumed, the group of local activists has a goal of protecting and improving the Raging River and its watershed, according to its website.

From 2016 to 2019, the group was very active, notifying residents of when the quarry was blasting, staying up-to-date on DPER’s work and encouraging King County to purchase the property.

In July 2019, the group posted on its website, “We have received word that the Conservation Futures Committee of King County has recommended $2.4 million in funding toward the purchase of the Eastside Quarry property. This will allow King County to actively pursue acquisition of the property.”

Eventually, the county’s acquisition funding, totaling $7,430,000, came from a combination of King County’s Conservation Futures grant program and the voter-approved King County Parks Levy, Williams said.

In the first two phases, King County partnered with the Trust for Public Land, which worked with the landowners to secure purchase options. Then, King County acquired the parcels as funds became available, he said.

This purchase, Williams said, aligns with King County’s Land Conservation Initiative, a regional, collaborative effort to “preserve our last, most important natural lands and urban green spaces in 30 years,” according to the website.