The Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, the group formed to help push basin-wide solutions to the destructive and chronic flooding throughout the river system, is pushing forward with a study that would examine the feasibility of building two earthen dams in the headwaters of the river.
One would be placed above Pe Ell, the other in the Boistfort Valley.
At issue is the parameters of the study, which is funded by the state Legislature through the Authority at a cost of $250,000.
Supporters of the study, including the Lewis County Public Utility District, the county commissioners and this Editorial Board, are simply asking that the best science is practiced. We want a thorough study. If the study reveals it is not in our best interest, that is an acceptable outcome.
What is not acceptable is knocking down the study now, before results are arrived at.
We envision if the dams are found to be helpful in water control, and also in fish habitat improvements (reducing stream flow in the winter during heavy rain events and increasing water flow in the summer time to keep water temperatures down), that the water retention could be part of an overall solution. That solution would likely include some form of levees as well.
An early, rough study of the potential for flood mitigation through the two dams revealed the dams would dramatically reduce flooding through West Lewis County, into the Twin Cities and as far as Grand Mound.
On Thursday many interested parties gathered to discuss the pending study with the company hired to produce it — EES Consulting
A representative from Fish and Wildlife questioned the effect the dams would have on fish. Representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis and other state officials also held similar concerns. A private citizen believed the cost to build the dams would be astronomical.
Lewis County Commissioner Ron Averill, the chair of the Authority, said those prematurely offering criticism and roadblocks need to refocus on the days, weeks and months after the waters rose on Dec. 3, 2007. Averill said that flood caused more than $160 million in damage. People’s lives were washed out. Averill believes when the study is complete, it will help ease fears and concerns surrounding the dams.
The reason to allow this study to move forward is to answer these questions, either way. We need to know what will work and what won’t. What we do know is the floods will come once again, and if we haven’t dotted all our i’s and crossed all our t’s, we have failed this community.
We ask that those lined up to oppose any dam solution wait until the best information is available.
Sam Spade PI
The statement by the Editorial Board that the two dams would dramatically lower flooding is an error. The Phase I study states the two dams will lower flood waters on Mellon Street by little over 2 feet. Two feet is nothing.If you had 6 feet of water in your house during the Dec 2007 flood, the two dams would lower that to 4 feet. How good does that make you feel?Plus, nobody is saying how much the two dams would have lowered the 2009 flood where most of the rain occurred east of the dams. Six inches? Two inches?Without new dams on Saltser Creek, China Creek and the Skookumchuck, Centralia will continue to flood. The PUD and the County Commissoners have simply jumped at a solution (2 dams) without doing their homework.
Steve Bell
In the related news article I did not interpret the criticism as being necessarily opposed to the dams. I read it as valid concerns that need to be raised and addressed through this scoping process. Dams may or may not be the right answer but waiting to ask important questions is not prudent. Asking questions sooner rather than later can help identify fatal flaws, reduce waste and lead to the best viable solution in a timely manner. People should always ask questions; especially when politicians are in charge.