Centralia Public Works Director Kahle Jennings poses for a portrait near a pond just north of Agnew Mill Pond in Centralia on Wednesday afternoon. The land, which is divided up into seven parcels and appraised at just over $1million, was anonymously donated to the city of Centralia for flood mitigation efforts along China Creek.
Centralia Public Works Director Kahle Jennings poses for a portrait near a pond just north of Agnew Mill Pond in Centralia on Wednesday afternoon. The land, which is divided up into seven parcels and appraised at just over $1million, was anonymously donated to the city of Centralia for flood mitigation efforts along China Creek.
Centralia Public Works Director Kahle Jennings looks over the land east of the railroad tracks on the north end of Centralia that was recently donated to the city on Wednesday afternoon.
Centralia is taking on its own flood protection project.
The city plans to turn a 28-acre donation of land near the Agnew Mill Ponds into a flood protection project for China Creek that will store rainfall runoff and protect downtown homes and businesses. The project is estimated to cost about $114,000.
Centralia Public Works released a study in April that identified the Agnew Mill Ponds and McAtee Road as two locations to store rain runoff and reduce the flooding of China Creek.
All the city needed was funding or a donation to acquire the private land.
Last month, the city accepted the donated Agnew Mill Ponds land west of Gold Street from the private property owner. The city would not reveal the identity of the private owner.
According to a Lewis County parcel search, the property is valued at $1.1 million, and is owned by an Oregon-based corporation.
“We’ve been asked to keep it confidential,” Public Works Director Kahle Jennings said.
City Attorney Shannon Murphy-Olson said both parties need to finalize the paperwork before the transaction is official. The city is expected to take full ownership by the end of the year.
“This donation makes it feasible for us to do a flood protection project for China Creek,” Jennings said. “Without this we didn’t have a project and now we have a project.”
Jennings said city staff could have a project proposal ready for the city council by March with construction starting next summer.
“Our goal is to do something by next summer,” Jennings said.
The flood protection project would build 2-foot-high berms on the property around China Creek to store the high water during flood events.
Two-foot-high berms would hold enough water to protect against a 2.5 inch rainfall event in a 24-hour period, which occurs about every 3.5 years, according to the city’s study.
Ideally, Jennings said, he would like to build 6-foot-high berms, which would create eight times the storage space and protect against larger flood events.
“Even if we could reduce the flood level from every three years to every 15 years that would be a big benefit,” Jennings said.
The berms would act as a temporary storage solution slightly different than the permanent water retention solutions proposed on the Chehalis River, Jennings said.
The berms would help the historic problem areas along China Creek from flooding areas such as Halliday Road, Gold Street by the railroad crossing, downtown by Eubanks Glass and the connection to the Chehalis River.
The city’s study stated the majority of water runoff, more than 50 percent, is generated in the downtown area downstream of the Agnew Mill Ponds and McAtee storage locations.
The last flooding of China Creek occurred in 2009, according to the city and Eubanks Glass, located by the creek at 505 W. Main St.
The city council identified flood relief projects as a top priority for the city next year, City Manager Rob Hill said. The city council agreed in September to construct a flood relief project for the city within the next three years using data collected from studies following the flood of December, 2007.
“It reflects well on the city council that they want to take on that kind of a challenge,” Jennings said.
