Flood Policy on the Chehalis River in Lewis County, Washington: Who Makes the Decisions?

Flood Policy on the Chehalis River in Lewis County, Washington: Who Makes the Decisions?
- Acknowledgements
Chapter I

Citizens, organizations, governments, government agencies and political leaders all have a stake in reducing the level and impact of flooding in Lewis County, Washington's Chehalis River Valley, each for their own reasons. The diversity of opinion on the issue reflects the diversity of the many interest groups involved. But with so many interests involved - and so many different perspectives on how to reduce the impact of flooding - who ultimately has the final word on flood policy decisions? Do those who benefit financially from local land use decisions also control those decisions?

Sociologist G. William Domhoff of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has argued that public policy related to land use and other issues affecting local economic growth is typically controlled by a local "growth coalition." Domhoff defines a growth coalition as an aggregate of land-based interests whose income depends on increasingly intensive use of land (Domhoff, 1986: 56).

This thesis identifies the existence of a growth coalition in Lewis County. It goes on to evaluate the influence of the growth coalition on flood policy decisions made by the Lewis County Board of Commissioners, and examine the implications of flood policy choices that focus on economic development as its primary goal. Finally, this thesis offers recommendations to address inadequacies in Lewis County government efforts to include the public in its policy-making process.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the people of Lewis County for sharing their knowledge and perspectives during the course of this thesis project. Special thanks go to University of California, Santa Cruz professor G. William Domhoff for contributing his time, energy and insight to a thesis written by two Washington state students he's never even met. The authors would also like to thank Evergreen faculty Larry Geri, Cheri Lucas Jennings and Don Bantz, who offered guidance, patience and a sense of humor throughout the course of this project.

The authors would also like to thank both friends and family - particularly Amy's five-year-old son Zachary - for their support as well as their willingness to listen patiently as the authors talked again and again about flooding, politics and public policy.

This thesis is dedicated to the people and land of Lewis County. The authors sincerely hope this research offers a meaningful contribution to the public conversation about the development of land use and flood policy in the Chehalis River Valley.

In the course of our research, the authors explored the Chehalis River Valley by car, foot, canoe - and even by airplane. In this photo, Kasia and Amy have just returned to Olympia after spending two hours getting to know the region's geography from the perspective of a friend's plane.

Chapter I

Project Introduction

This master's thesis examines the influence of a local "growth coalition" on public policy choices addressing flood control in Lewis County, Washington. The research draws on work done by sociologist G. William Domhoff of the University of California, Santa Cruz, who has described the influence of growth coalitions on local government policy decisions.

In his work, Domhoff defines a growth coalition as an aggregate of land-based interests whose income depends on increasingly intensive use of land (Domhoff, 1986: 56). This project explores the existence of a growth coalition in Lewis County, evaluates its influence on flood policy decisions made by the Lewis County Board of Commissioners and examines the implications of flood policy choices that are focused primarily on economic development goals.

After reviewing accounts of community and government response to flooding in the Chehalis River Valley throughout the 1990s, the researchers concluded that a local growth coalition - and alignment of opinion leaders and individual citizens with values reflected in that agenda - may wield enough influence over Lewis County government to be the driving force behind current and future flood policy decisions. The goal of this thesis is to establish whether this is true, to explore the policy implications of growth coalition influence on county decision-making and to offer recommendations that may address any inadequacies in Lewis County government efforts to include the public in its flood policy-making process.

The study of power and the influence of specific interest groups on public policy decisions is central not only to public administration, but to the American ideal of democracy. In order to develop effective public policy that achieves legitimacy through effectiveness and through responsiveness to public values and concerns, public administrators must possess a clear understanding of the impact of interest groups on policy decisions. Thorough knowledge of the way local power structures work is a useful tool for administrators who must bring many interested parties together to reach consensus on controversial decisions, particularly when the issue addresses environmental resource and land use policy.

Drawing upon academic literature on public participation, this thesis concludes with policy recommendations aimed at broadening public participation in local government policy decision-making.

Public Perceptions of Disenfranchisement from Policy Decision-making in Lewis County

The authors believe that an underlying sense of citizen disenfranchisement appears to be a recurring theme in many policy decisions regarding environmental and land use issues. Those who oppose land use policies proposed by local government often complain that while they are invited to offer comment through letters and public hearings, in reality they have little or no influence over the outcome of a decision. Citizens who feel disenfranchised may perceive that government has already made a decision about an issue without first hearing public input. They may perceive that government policy decisions are influenced largely by some members of the community who are seen as possessing greater power and influence than the average citizen. These people can generally be described as members of the local growth coalition as described by Domhoff. In other words, public comment on policy decisions is sought in order to satisfy legal requirements, but other factors - such as the growth agenda and individual political power - have a greater influence on final policy decisions. The business owners, land owners and developers who often populate the pro-growth side of a land use policy question may be perceived by individual citizens, environmentalists and those who may oppose their agenda as "insiders" who have greater power to influence policy decisions.

Research has shown that flood plain management policy is most effective when it focuses on regulating land use in order to reduce flood risk and reduce the impact of development on flood levels. In the case of large-scale problems, regulating land use when feasible is generally preferable to more expensive engineering solutions. If Lewis County flood policy is driven by short-term economic gain, county government may be ignoring the lessons of contemporary flooding across the nation. It is important to consider the short- and long-term implications of allowing the growth agenda to drive flood policy decisions. And if identifying and involving interest groups with valid concerns may improve policy effectiveness and legitimacy, what steps can local government - in Lewis County or anywhere in the United States take to achieve this goal?

Flooding on the Chehalis River

In Western Washington, heavy winter rains and snowmelt often cause rivers to flood. Precipitation in the Chehalis River watershed ranges from 200 inches per year at higher elevations on the southwest slope of the Olympic Mountains to about 45 inches per year in the Chehalis River Valley in Lewis and Thurston counties. The watershed includes not only Lewis, Thurston and Grays Harbor counties, through which the Chehalis River flows, but also parts of Pacific, Cowlitz, Mason. Wahkiakum and Jefferson counties, all of which have streams and rivers that are tributaries of the mainstem Chehalis River. (Washington State Department of Ecology, 1996: 4-3).

Current land use patterns also contribute to the problem of flooding: agricultural and logging practices may cause river siltation and higher flood levels-, removal of trees and brush along river banks may cause erosion; the paving of adjacent land reduces its capacity to absorb water; and building construction and the use of fill to raise foundations displaces flood water and increases flood levels. In the Chehalis watershed, most land is privately owned, with the exception of upper Chehalis forest land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and state-owned forest land in Capitol State Forest. In addition to housing and industrial areas, which are centered mostly in Chehalis and Centralia, land use activities include livestock operations and crop production in the fertile alluvial flood plain and timber production in the higher elevations. (Washington State Department of Ecology, 1996: 4-2) The watershed is experiencing moderate population growth, most of which is concentrated along Interstate 5 in southern Thurston County, north of Chehalis. (Wildrick, et. al, 1995: 3)

Federally declared flood crises in Lewis County between 1990 and 1997 cost state and federal taxpayers an estimated $27,917,297 in disaster relief provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state Emergency Management Division and the federal Flood Control Account Assistance Program administered by the state Department of Ecology. (Washington State Emergency Management Division Memorandum written by Lois Lopez to Carol Jolly of the Washington State Office of Financial Management) These expenditures include FEMA funds for repair and restoration of damaged facilities; FEMA funds for long-term mitigation to protect citizens and property from future flood hazards; FEMA National Flood Insurance Program funds to compensate insured parties for damages sustained; and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department funds for disaster recovery projects through the Community Development Block Grant program. The February 1996 flood disaster alone cost $15,606,092 in state and federal emergency services money. (Lois Lopez,, interview, April 4, 1999) The figures cited do not include other costs, such as agency staff overtime; emergency response staff time; special equipment such as sandbags; highway and road repairs; Red Cross chargebacks: loss of insured and uninsured personal property and livestock; loss of income, welfare and unemployment insurance payments; health and social impacts; environmental impacts and other costs. Economic disruption caused by the February 1996 flood is estimated to have cost the Washington state economy approximately $80 million. (Richard Graham, interview. April 17. 1999)

Interest Groups in the Chehalis River Flood Policy Issue

Wintertime flooding is a challenging problem that affects thousands of people and hundreds of businesses in the Chehalis River Valley. While flood damage is limited to land in the three Western Washington counties through which most of the river flows, the Chehalis River watershed extends to include eight counties, comprising the largest watershed contained within the state's borders. (-the Columbia River watershed, which IS Much larger, extends into neighboring Northwest states and Canada.) Because of its large size, land use patterns throughout the watershed affect the extent of flooding downstream.

Flooding affects not only individuals and businesses, but also federal, state. local and tribal governments. Local governments that must address Chehalis River

flooding problems include those of Lewis, Thurston and Grays Harbor counties, as well as the municipal governments of towns and cities along the river and within its flood plain, most notably the Lewis County "twin cities" of Centralia and Chehalis. The government and people of the Chehalis Indian Tribe also have a strong interest in the issue, as the tribe's reservation lands are located in Grays Harbor County downstream of Centralia and Chehalis. Their concerns include the health of Chehalis River fish runs, emergency vehicle and school bus access for the tribe and the impact of flooding on Indian homes and land. The Chehalis Tribe is also concerned about customer access to its casino, a mainstay of the reservation economy located on a road that becomes impassable during floods. (Curtis DuPuis, interview, April 13, 1999) Oyster growers and fishers who make their living in the lower Chehalis or at the mouth of the river in Grays Harbor County - including members of the Quinault Indian Tribe - also are affected by flooding as well as upstream land use and flood policy.

State agencies such as the Washington Department of Ecology and the Washington Department of Natural Resources are stakeholders in flood policy decisions because of their regulatory responsibility for environmental preservation, wildlife, water quality, water supply and fish and forest resource issues. The state Emergency Management Division is involved through disaster relief programs that provide assistance to those affected by flooding.

Federal agencies also have a stake in issues related to flooding and management of the river environment. For example, the National Marine Fisheries Service is interested in the river because of the expected summer 1999 Endangered Species Act listing of Chehalis River cutthroat trout. When flood waters rise, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is called upon to provide disaster relief and low interest loans for those who suffer flood damage. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains some small-scale projects along the river, and recently accepted the lead role in the proposed flood control project initiated by Lewis County. And after raging flood waters interrupted north-south traffic on Interstate 5 near Centralia in the epic flood of February 1996, the Federal Highway Administration, through the state Department of Transportation, proposed raising the highway bridge over the river to avoid repeated interruption of travel and interstate commerce. The 1996 Chehalis River flood disaster - declared a federal emergency - was so dramatic and had such far-reaching impact as to make news reports across the nation.

At the state and federal level, legislators whose districts include constituents affected by Chehalis River flooding are also involved in the issue.

When local government seeks solutions to the flood issue, it may need to hire consultants to perform research and planning work that is beyond the training or resources of its staff to complete. Lewis County has contracted with two Washington consulting firms to work on this project: Pharos Corporation and Pacific International Engineering, both based in Edmonds, Wash. These firms also have an interest in Chehalis River flood control because of the potential for business income.

Finally, taxpayers - in Lewis County and across the nation - who must foot the bill for disaster cleanup and relief also represent a group with significant interest in the Chehalis River flood issue.

Who Makes the Decisions?

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