By John Henderer, The Chronicle, 11/20/1998
Two series of public meetings next month will help inform Lewis County citizens of progress on a major Chehalis River flood-control study, and solicit comment on flooding problems outside the Twin Cities.
A citizen group, as well as a technical group of state and federal agency officials, plan to bring the public up to date on their related but separate efforts.
The meetings will occur nearly simultaneously, prompting some officials to voice concern the meetings could confuse the public. At the same time, officials said they hope to coordinate projects from various groups.
A private consulting firm hired by Lewis County is conducting a $1.1 million flood-control study on the Chehalis River Basin. The Legislature contributed $600,000 toward the Pacific International Engineering study, organizing the technical group to oversee work and ensure accountability.
State and federal highway officials are helping review the flood control project as an alternative to raising Interstate 5, which flooded in 1990 and 1996 where it passes through Chehalis.
The technical group will present an interim report to the Legislature Dec. 1.
A draft copy, which includes several alternatives, has a map showing substantial flood-area reduction for Centralia and Chehalis. Through excavation, diking and using a rubber weir atop an existing Skookumchuck River dam, the estimated $80 million project would redirect floodwaters onto area fields, and store waters away from developed areas.
However, no project has been authorized or endorsed by the technical group, and much study work remains undone.
The technical group will hold a 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16 public meeting at the Centralia College cafeteria to inform citizens of study alternatives, and of progress toward a solution.
The group plans to hold four subsequent, as yet unscheduled meetings, possibly in January, at Bucoda, Montesano, Chehalis and Oakville, the latter on Chehalis Indian Tribe lands.
A citizen committee plans to hold two meetings, targeted for rural areas, before the meeting in Centralia. Three more will follow at unscheduled dates.
County commissioners last year created a countywide Flood Control Zone, organizing a Flood Control Citizens Advisory Committee after deciding against a complicated citizen vote on whether to create a new government agency with its own taxing authority to oversee flood control.
Since then, the 15-member citizen committee and related subzone committees have studied flooding problems on the Chehalis, Cowlitz and Nisqually river basins, reviewing flood-control projects elsewhere and hearing from local and regional experts.
In response to concerns over placing fill material in the flood plain, the group last year recommended commissioners ban the practice for one year and conduct a study of its effects on local flooding.
Commissioners rejected that request, but Monday they will decide whether to approve more modest restrictions through ordinance modifications.
The Chehalis River subzone committee plans to sponsor five public meetings, beginning 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Boistfort Elementary School and at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at Pe Ell High School.
The meetings are designed to collect public testimony on local flooding problems outside of the Twin Cities. This will be used to produce a flood reduction plan or manual to the county commission, to guide selection and setting priorities for smaller flood-control projects, said Ilona Peterson, subzone committee chairwoman.
"There are lots of areas that are not being covered under their (PIE study) plan," Peterson said. "We really want this to be a plan from the people. We want things down on paper so it's not just hearsay."
The committee has prepared a citizen questionnaire, which it will distribute at the meetings, and it hopes to hear personal flooding stories.
"We just found out about their public meetings last night," committee member Phil McBride said of the technical group. "It's strange that they're happening at the same time, but they're not related."
Forrest Brooks of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressed concern over the timing of the meetings.
"For Joe Average Citizen who doesn't know anything, I think it's going to get awful confusing awful quick," Brooks said Thursday during a technical group meeting.
Meanwhile, the technical group learned Congress has approved $100,000 funding for the Corps to review a June 20, 1984, report it produced. The review will determine if the 1984 study should be modified in light of flood control, environmental restoration and protection issues, according to an Oct. 9 letter from House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster, R-Pa.
"This is a complete surprise to us," Brooks said. "By next month we should have it ironed out as to what this means."
Congress rejected a petition, lobbied for by Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., to contribute $2.5 million in federal highway funds toward the flood-control study.
Moreover, the county's chances of winning a sizable pot of funding assistance may be dimming through at least one means.
The state Department of Ecology has recommended to Gov. Gary Locke to cut $1.9 million from its $4 million annual budget for the Flood Control Assistance Account Program.
The program has paid for about $750,000 of projects and studies in the county since 1985, said Tim D'Acci, state flood insurance program coordinator for DOE.
John Henderer covers county government and environmental issues for The Chronicle. He can be reached by e-mail at jhenderer@chronline.com or by calling 807-8239.
Back to Whats New Index Page
Back to CRC Index Page
Back to Flood Index Page
Back to Lewis County Issues Index Page
Back to Grays Harbor County Issues Index Page
Back to Thurston County Issues Index Page