East Lewis County Neighborhood Seeks Support to Fend Off Encroaching Cowlitz River

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Like the river that’s threatening to wash their neighborhood away, the Timberline Community Association is attempting to make moves based on the path of least resistance.

As the river rose rapidly late last year, claiming more of the county road and inching ever closer to the foundations of more homes, the TCA made multiple pleas for help to local and federal agencies. Those pleas were rebuffed due to a lack of proper jurisdiction in some instances, and other plans proved to be not feasible due to extended review processes that would push the timeline past multiple more flood seasons.

With just six inches remaining between the foundation of Dave Roberts’ back porch and the crumbling bank of the river, and more than two dozen additional homes facing the threat of washing downstream, the TCA has remained dogged in their effort to find a more timely solution.

While Lewis County officials have previously communicated their inability to conduct work intended to protect private property, the county owned cul-de-sac that bisects the neighborhood appears to have provided a possible path to salvation. According to Lewis County Public Works Director Erik Martin, the county is actively pursuing a plan to protect the river bank with a more than 500-foot-long berm intended to buffer the the county road. That road, Coal Creek Drive, currently dead ends into the Cowlitz River since the turnaround was washed away. 

Martin says that while the plan is primarily intended to protect the county road, it will also provide ancillary fortifying benefits to adjacent properties. When that plan was first discussed, the anticipated completion date stretched all the way into summer of 2019. However, Martin says that there is a chance the work may get the go-ahead as early as August of this year.

Martin says that work, which will include $1.4 million in approved FEMA funds, could possibly provide some protection to Roberts' property as well as Cedar Sedustine’s cabin, which is only a few yards away from the river now after losing around 30 feet of riverbank earlier this winter.

“That would be amazing if they could get it going by next August,” said Steve Albert, president of the TCA. “Historically, November is the worst month for flooding, not just here but on the whole Cowlitz. So I feel like if the work was done by Oct. 15 we’d be in great shape.”

However, there is still a chance that the permitting for that project might not go through in time, or at all, so the TCA is hedging their bets with a fundraising campaign in preparation for a private bank stabilization project. That would strap 516-feet of riprap to the bank in order to fortify the porous land the neighborhood rests on. The price tag for that project is estimated to be $323,750.00.

“The FEMA plan isn’t guaranteed and neither is ours. At this point both plans are just charging forward. We’re trying everything we can and hoping that eventually something sticks.” said Albert.

So far, the group’s GoFundMe account has raised just short of $6,000 through donations. The TCA has also created a special edition “Save Packwood Cabins” emblazoned apparel line. The group is selling those limited supply T-shirts for $25, long sleeve shirts for $32 and hooded sweatshirts for $36. All of the money raised will go toward their efforts to riprap the unstable bank in front of their neighborhood.

“It’s been a very difficult message to get out there and it’s a very misunderstood issue,” said Albert, who noted that they have a contractor lined up to begin work as soon as they obtain the needed funds “The misunderstanding is that these were never riverfront homes … but unfortunately now we’ve got to deal with it.”

According to Martin, Lewis County is still awaiting final permit approval on its version of the bank stabilization from FEMA. He expects to receive an update from FEMA within the next month or so. Once, and if, the project is approved and construction begins, Martin says the work should only take six to eight weeks to complete.

“It’s not going to be a project that’s going to overwinter. We’re going to get in there and get it done as soon as we can,” said Martin.

With two proposals currently in the works, there is a new sense of hope for residents of the TCA. Still, ongoing winter rains mean that there is plenty of ongoing worrying out in East Lewis County. According to Albert, the next high water event will likely result in property losses for his neighbors.

“I think Cedar is probably going out of his mind daily looking at the NOAA website watching the water levels because it’s scary,” said Albert. “The next time that water comes up (Roberts’) deck is going to go in.”

Across Coal Creek Drive from Roberts’ cabin, Cedar Sedustine has been watching as the Cowlitz River chips away at about 150 feet of river bank property that runs parallel to his cabin that he purchased last year. Over the past 11 years, more than 80 feet of riverfront has disappeared between the Cowlitz and his cabin. He says that the bank stabilization work is critical to preserve other homes in the neighborhood that sit back from the river, just as his used to.

“It’s just mind blowing how fast this river will swing and take out neighborhoods. The next high water and the steps off my deck would be river. I’m that close,” said Sedustine. “If I would have known before that in the last 11 years that there was 80 feet of land in front of where my current bank is … If I would have known the rapid rate of erosion I would have never bought the place, but that was not documented anywhere.”

Despite his perch on the precipice of natural disaster, Sedustine is holding out hope for a happy ending. He noted that because the situation has been declared a state of emergency the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved bank stabilization work to begin as soon as it can be paid for by the TCA.

“This year, if we get it in it’s going to save two cabins immediately and then after that there are up to 25 cabins that are in the river channel migration zone that the river will take out at some point,” said Sedustine. “Essentially we are a blockade right now for up to 25 homes.”

Albert readily admits that there are no surefire solutions for such a fluid situation, but he says he sees no other options other than to try to stem the tide anyway possible.

“It’s pretty ambitious and people will probably think we’re crazy. Even I think we’re crazy sometimes, but on the flip side of it, if we don’t do anything these houses are going to go in,” said Albert. “At least we could say we did everything we could. I don’t want that on my conscious. I want to know that we’ve done everything possible to try to get this thing built.”

Plans are also in the works for a pair of benefit concerts at White Pass Ski Resort and a venue in Seattle, where “Save Packwood Cabins” gear will be available for sale. Donations to the fundraising effort can be made online through savepackwoodcabins.com, and correspondence can be directed by email to savepackwoodcabin@gmail.com.