The Chronicle, 2/16/2002
If long-awaited meaningful flood control ever transpires for the Twin Cities, it should be a coordinated, comprehensive overall project that prevents major flooding in all areas of the two cities.
As it stands now, a comprehensive approach appears in doubt. The problem is that flooding in the Twin Cities, especially in Centralia and between Centralia and Chehalis, doesn't come from just the main stem rivers - the Chehalis and Skookumchuck. It also comes from local tributary creeks, such as China and Salzer, that flow directly into the Chehalis, and Coffee Creek that flows into the Skookumchuck.
In fact, flooding on the creeks and the rivers they feed are at first two separate events, with the creeks, being smaller, responding more rapidly to heavy rains and thus flooding sooner than the rivers. China and Salzer creeks are particularly problems because the former floods parts of downtown Centralia and the latter can cut off the connecting couplet between the two cities.
As the rivers rise, they can heighten the flooding on the creeks, backing up water in them from their confluence with the rivers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was in Centralia this week to unveil the latest progress on plans to curtail Twin Cities flooding.
Unfortunately, however, those plans pertain only to flooding from the two rivers (and another Chehalis tributary, the Newaukum, which causes flooding only on the outskirts of Chehalis). And even then, the suggested remedies, such as relying exclusively on new levees, or dikes, wouldn't prevent flooding of some areas of Centralia, for example.
All of this caught the attention of Centralia Mayor Tim Browning, who observed, "It appears traffic moving on 1-5 has value, but trashing downtown doesn't." He pointed to areas of downtown Centralia, Harrison Avenue and Mellen street as still vulnerable to flooding in the Corps' plans.
Beth Coffey, manager for Corps' Centralia Flood Damage Reduction Project, responded that the agency deals with flooding only from major rivers, such as the Chehalis and Skookumchuck and is prohibited from using federal money to address flooding on creeks.
It was suggested, as a remedy for that, the city of Centralia could sponsor a flood control project on China Creek, such as pumping water from it overland to the nearby Skookumchuck River before the creek's floodwaters get to downtown.
Such a project by the city might have merit. It might be more feasible and successful if it was coordinated with any Corps project for river abatement.
In any event, as with flood abatement for the rivers, obtaining necessary funding remains a major hurdle.
DO JOB RIGHT- Whatever alternative or combination of alternatives the Army Corps comes up with for preventing disastrous flooding from the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers such as occurred in 1990 and 1996, the project should get the job done properly.
It appears any meaningful flood control beyond just piecemeal, Band-Aid work is going to cost in the tens of millions of dollars. Even the levee system and Skookumchuck Dam improvements the Corps is now suggesting as its preferred alternative from a cost-benefit standpoint would cost an estimated $60 million to $70 million.
If it takes a relative few more million dollars to do the job right, such as preventing flooding on Mellen Street and Harrison Avenue - major arterials into Centralia - it appears that would be money well spent.
Further, it would seem wise from an overall cost-benefit ratio to taxpayers in general to have a flood abatement project sufficient to avoid the need to raise Interstate 5. That suggests the flood prevention measures, whatever they end up being, should be in place before the prospective widening of 1-5 through the Twin Cities.
We need both - more freeway lanes and effective, comprehensive flood control - that's the bottom line.
New levees make lots of sense in part because they apparently are most cost effective. But, again, if effective flood control requires it combine the levees with channeling floodwaters into storage areas, reconfigure floodways and altering the Skookumchuck Dam for better flood control.
We've spent decades on zillions of costly studies and have some good plans now. Time, money and the will to proceed continue to be the biggest obstacles.
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