Our three 20th Legislative District leaders — Sen. Dan Swecker, Rep. Gary Alexander and Rep. Richard DeBolt — weighed in this past week on the need for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to embrace a true basin-wide approach to flood mitigation along the Chehalis River Valley.

    Currently the Army Corps is only focusing on building 11 miles of levees that might protect Interstate 5 during big flooding events, and perhaps parts of the Twin Cities, but certainly would not help out in other areas along the Chehalis River.

    Together Swecker, Alexander and DeBolt signed a letter to Congressman Brian Baird, D-Vancouver. They recognized that we need Rep. Baird’s help in efforts to get the most effective flood mitigation in place the next time a 100-year flood sweeps through Southwest Washington, as it has three times in the last two decades.

    They remind Rep. Baird that the Chehalis River Flood Control Authority, created and funded by the state Legislature following the big flood of December 2007, has been a proponent of studying all possible solutions to mitigate flooding. One idea being studied is building water retention in the upper reaches of the Chehalis River Basin, perhaps on a dam above Pe Ell and another in the Boistfort Valley.

    Water retention deserves a chance if studies bear out its effectiveness. And beyond flood protection, water retention has the possibility of improving water quality in the river, enhanced fisheries, agricultural benefits and expansion of recreation.

    Our state legislators wrote if water retention is built into an overall plan, “the scope of the Army Corps levee project may be modified to offer the same flood-protection benefits at less cost.”

    The Army Corps, however, has indicated it does not believe it has the authority to include water retention studies with its own plan to build levees.

    Rep. Baird is being asked to have the Army Corps change its views through discussions, or if that does not work, “Congressional action to change the statutory language that pertains to this process.”

    One final request in the letter to Rep. Baird is a significant one: “We hope you will work to secure additional funding for this comprehensive flood-mitigation effort.”

    Many local groups are supportive of what our legislators are asking, including this Editorial Board, the grassroots group One Voice, the Lewis County PUD, the Flood Authority, and now the leaders of the 20th District.

    When One Voice formed, they chose their moniker knowing it would take all of us coming together if anything more than protecting I-5 was ever to occur.

    One Voice is growing.

    It is time for Rep. Baird to join us.