Cedar River Watershed: New education center is all for the love of water

In the Pacific Northwest, water is like a prophet at home, taken for granted and not well understood. As of Oct. 6, with the opening of the Cedar River Watershed Education Center, you can learn all about the power and utility of water.

You may even come to revere it, as did Northwest tribes that once camped near where the center now stands, near North Bend about 30 miles east of Seattle in the Cascade foothills.

Granted, the name of the place is a bit clunky, inviting as a math quiz on Monday, but don't let that fool you. Meticulously designed by artists, architects, citizens and scientists, the new center is an extraordinary blend of art, scholarship and nature.

Built above the shore of Rattlesnake Lake, the five-building complex is a joint project between the city of Seattle and the private Friends of the Cedar River Watershed. Artist Dan Corson was involved from its inception eight years ago and created many of the center's features.

"We took a lot of care in the planning," he says. "This was a labor of love for all of us."

Water, of course, is the first thing a visitor will see, with panoramic views of green, serene Rattlesnake Lake.

Near the center's entrance is a contemplative pool of water rimmed by giant boulders. The stones were taken from inside the Cedar River Watershed, an area that covers 124 square miles — the storehouse for Seattle's water supply. Necessarily, the watershed itself is off limits except by organized tour.

So much about the center is both appealing and practical: The boardwalk looks like weathered wood but in fact is recycled plastic.

Outbuildings have sod roofs — gardens that serve a purpose, says Chris Holland, facility coordinator at the Education Center. "A problem in urban areas is that there's nowhere for the rain to go because of all the hard surfaces. Here, with our sod roofs, there's not as much runoff."

Dan Corson notes that "the center's artwork is also highly integrated into the architecture."

An example is the Welcome Room, which could be called Home of the Hobbits. Overhead, giant tree roots hang from the ceiling — wild, organic chandeliers. Tubes of blue neon curl through the root system simulating the undulations of water.

Corson found the root balls in the watershed a few years ago, leftovers from past logging. Bringing them to the center, he turned them into art.

"The idea is that when you come in, there's the feeling of being underground," he says.

A sandblasted design on the floor mimics the roots above, and in one corner a cozy rock fireplace invites visitors to curl up and gaze out windows.

Permanent exhibits will soon be installed in the main exhibition hall — hands-on, interactive displays on the Cedar River Watershed, its history and culture. Other displays aim to foster a deeper understanding of Northwest water supplies and conservation.

Along the perimeter of the center, several decks with chairs provide quiet sanctuary to ponder views.

Across the water, dominating the skyline, is Rattlesnake Ledge, which makes a good hiking destination for later. A rigorous 1.5-mile trek, the climb is worth it for spectacular vistas of the watershed and Snoqualmie Valley. Numerous lakeside trails for bikers and hikers are accessible from the center as well.

Because knowledge is at the core of the center's mission, it comes equipped with a working laboratory, a research library and three staff naturalists who lead educational programs.

"Our intent is to let people explore this area, not just stand around looking at exhibits," says Holland.

Also, a state-of-the-art meeting room that seats up to 100 is available free to nonprofit groups with educational, environmental or cultural missions. Others can rent the space.

An open courtyard is the heart of the center, featuring a meandering creek, stands of vine maples and a ring of rain drums.

"The drum heads are slanted," explains Corson, "so that when it rains, the water plays the drums then runs off to water the plants. When it's not raining, calibrated water-drips play the drums with changing international rhythms."

The drum designs are taken from many nations and cultures including Bali, Africa and Native American.

"The center is not meant to copy nature but to give visitors an experience of nature," Corson says.

"Obviously there aren't any rain drums in the forest, but there is the pattern of rain falling. Our purpose here is to give people some sense of what lies behind the locked gates of the watershed, a bit of the magic."

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