The Chehalis Basin Board held an hour-long special meeting on Friday, July 18, to make clarifying decisions concerning the large-scale project packages it approved for deeper analysis at its meeting earlier this month.
During the meeting, the board discussed three project packages that are currently being studied for their cost-benefit impact and environmental impacts. The group’s moderator, Ken Ghalambor, asked board members to decide on exactly which levees should be modeled for studies on three of the proposed project packages.
Two of the packages being looked at call for the construction of a flow-through dam near Pe Ell along with three levees — one from China to Salzer Creek and two on either bank of the Skookumchuck River — the relocation of the Mellen Street Bridge and the removal or modification of the Skookumchuck Dam. During the special meeting, board members were asked if they would like one of the two packages including these elements to be modeled without the China-Salzer levee and relocated bridge.
Information provided by the Office of the Chehalis Basin suggests that with a flow-through dam in place to hold back some floodwaters, the bridge relocation project and China to Salzer creek levee would be less impactful on reducing flood impacts.
Board members decided to remove the modeling of a relocated Mellen Street bridge from both project proposals and also removed the modeling of a China to Salzer creeks levee from a model that includes modifying the Skookumchuck Dam.
Board members were also asked if one model that includes only the three levees already mentioned should also model a fourth levee that would entirely surround the Chehalis-Centralia Airport and the nearby commercial center that includes Walmart and other warehouse stores. Information from the Office of the Chehalis Basin suggests including the Airport Levee will protect an additional 13 buildings, with many of them being businesses.
Board members ultimately decided to include the Airport Levee in one of its models, citing the net gain of protected buildings and potential economic impacts.
“What we’re trying to do is evaluate relatively complete solutions,” Steve Malloch, a Chehalis Basin Board member, said. “And it's difficult for me given the scale of economic development in that airport levee area. It's hard for me to picture what a flood damage system is without including that area.”
During the special meeting, board members also briefly discussed their upcoming tabling session at the Southwest Washington Fair where it will team up with the Chehalis Basin Flood Authority to provide information to community members about the board's efforts to minimize the impacts of severe flooding in the basin.
Last year, the Flood Authority showed a video developed by the Chehalis Basin Flood Control Zone District that shows a concept design of the proposed flow-through dam near Pe Ell. While it's currently unclear exactly what material the Chehalis Basin Board and Flood Authority teams will offer to fairgoers this year, the effort is part of the board’s larger effort over the next six months to share information with the public about its current cost-benefit analysis and strategy development plan.
The process includes community engagement and outreach sessions over the next six months ahead of community feedback sessions set for early next year, followed by a final decision on projects that the Office of the Chehalis Basin will pursue as part of its long-term strategy by the end of March 2026.
