March 11, 1997
Lewis County Board of Commissioners
Gentlemen:
The board of trustees of the Chehalis River Council commends the Lewis county
commissioners for their decision not to submit a flood control district to
the voters at this time.  We have strongly expressed our opposition to the
recommendations of the Flood Action Council and support the courage and
prudence of the commissioners to seek another way to mitigate flood damage in
the Chehalis Basin. 
Throughout these discussions, our basic point has been that planning with
respect to all aspects of water quantity and quality, including flood damage,
must be basin wide. The Chehalis watershed includes parts of Lewis, Thurston,
and Grays Harbor counties.   We strongly urge that the commissioners find a
way to form an intergovernmental planning group.  The membership of this
group should be representative of the political jurisdictions in the Chehalis
basin, including counties and tribes.  
We suggest that the commissioners explore the powers provided to the counties
in Section 86.13 of the RCW.  This act empowers  a county to enter into a
contract with other counties to take measures to mitigate flood damage on a
river that flows through more than one county.  If carefully drawn, with a
purpose initially limited to developing a three-county flood plain management
plan, such a contract could initiate multicounty flood control action.  If
RCW 86.13 cannot provide a legal basis for such action, we strongly urge
other steps be taken to make it possible for the commissioners of Lewis,
Grays Harbor, and Thurston counties to work together to initiate flood plain
management planning.  Any such planning effort should provide for citizen
input and should reflect the broadest possible range of interests and points
of view.
We appreciate the opportunity to be heard on this issue, which is of crucial
importance to the entire Chehalis watershed, and we will continue to
participate in the lively and healthy public dialogue about water quality and
quantity that has developed.
Sincerely,