By John Henderer, The Chronicle, 2/26/99
If a flood-control project gets build for the Chehalis River Basin, the major funding source is more likely to be the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers than the Federal Highway Administration.
Local officials have changed strategies, the Corps which traditionally handles flood-control projects to serve up the money.
Until last fall, they had been hoping for federal highway money, arguing the project would benefit Interstate 5 by preventing it from being inundated again.
Efforts failed, however, to win $2.5 million in federal highway money to continue the $1.1 million basin study.
Earlier this week, a local delegation of elected officials flew to Washington, D.C., lobbying congressional representatives to support a $3 million appropriation for the Corps to perform a project feasibility study.
Officials hope eventually to present this study to Congress for funding and to begin work by 2001.
The Corps could pay for up to 65 percent of the estimated $80 million project, said Lewis County Commissioner Richard Graham.
The Corps has authority based on the 1986 Water Resources Development Act to modify the Skookumchuck Dam for flood control purposes.
Officials hope to expand this authority to include the Chehalis River Basin and clear a funding pipeline faster than the normal 3-year process, said Judith Schulman of Pharos Corp., a county consultant.
Staffers for the state's two senators are "confident, confident, confident," they can pass a bill supporting the plan, Schulman said Thursday, during a meeting of the executive committee overseeing the project.
A Corps official, Seattle project manager Forrest Brooks, is writing a scope of work for the study. Brooks said he hopes to finish the study plan within one to three months.
Work done by Pacific International Engineering served as a "reconnaissance" study, identifying a potential solution; the Corps study would serve as a "feasibility" study, fleshing out alternatives, environmental reviews and the like, Brooks said.
The delegation included Graham, Grays Harbor County Commissioner Bob Beerbower, Centralia Mayor Jessie Brunswig, Chehalis Mayor Bob Spahr, and consultants for the $1.1 million study now under way.
The meetings were "very productive," and congressional officials expressed "positive" interest in the project, Graham said.
The delegation met with Reps. Norm Dicks and Brian Baird, both D-Wash., and with staffers for Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Slade Gorton, R-Wash.
Meanwhile, money has nearly run out to continue the PEE study.
Monday, the county commission will consider a resolution to begin tapping a $40,000 county flood-control fund, paying the Edmonds firm under a new month-to-month contract amendment.
Study participants are lobbying the Legislature for $500,000 more to continue PEE's work. If this fails, the PEE study will stop, Graham said.
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