The Chehalis Tribe last week approved the Adna levee project, giving a key approval for this project aimed at fixing a problem blamed for sending 2007 floodwater through the nearby community.
The “levee” is actually an old railroad berm that has caused water to back up due to a lack of maintenance. The purpose of the project is to clean it out.
In the last legislative session, state lawmakers provided $5 million to the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority for flood mitigation projects. The Adna levee, along with the Airport Levee, were listed specifically in the legislation as projects that should be completed. The legislation requires that both the Flood Authority and the Chehalis Tribe approve the projects individually before they can move forward.
Lewis County Commissioner Ron Averill said he personally put the Adna levee on a list of projects compiled by the Flood Authority.
“I’m extremely pleased,” he said. “I personally fought for this to get approved. It’s a great boon for members of that community.”
The tribe, however, has not yet approved the Airport Levee project, which would raise and widen the levee to provide protection against a 100-year flood. Tribal representatives say they want to see data from the hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to see what effects the changes could have downstream before they will approve it.
Last week the Quinault Indian Nation spoke out against both projects, saying the levees may change the physical characteristics of the basin and negatively affect habitat and productivity or resources of interest to the Quinaults, thereby adversely impact the Nation’s federally-protected treaty rights.
However, the legislation does not require the approval of the Quinaults so the projects can still move forward.
•••
Bianca Fortis: (360) 807-8245, twitter.com/biancafortis and facebook.com/biancafortis
