Chehalis Basin Strategy progress in review: Pump station investments to protect 5,100 properties in lower Chehalis River Basin

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series highlighting projects that have been completed as part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy. These projects are implemented in cooperation with partners such as the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, the Quinault Indian Nation, state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, landowners and the Aquatic Species Restoration Plan team. The Chronicle has partnered with the Office of Chehalis Basin for this series. 

Investments in pump stations are helping communities in the lower Chehalis River Basin protect and reduce damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure when floods occur.

It has taken more than a decade to plan and design a cohesive approach for managing flooding in the lower basin. The Chehalis Basin Strategy is funded by the Department of Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin and administered by the independent Chehalis Basin Board. The strategy includes near- and long-term actions as well as small- and large-scale projects to reduce flood-related damage and restore aquatic species habitat throughout the 2,700 square-mile Chehalis River basin.

The problem

In the past 50 years, there have been 14 federally declared flood disasters in Grays Harbor County according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Most were due to flooding in the lower Chehalis River basin, located within the county. 

Compared to the upper portion of the river system, the terrain in the lower basin is generally flatter and closer to the tidally influenced marine waters of Grays Harbor. This means coastal flooding, tidal surges and sea level rise all make draining floodwaters in the area more challenging after a major storm.

Aberdeen and Hoquiam make up the largest population center on Washington’s Pacific Ocean coast. More than 25,000 people reside in the two cities, which support numerous businesses as well as critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities.

Area homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure, valued to be worth more than $1 billion, are at risk during a flood. Existing flood-control facilities, such as pump stations, are aging and outdated. They cannot keep up with current demands, much less the more frequent and intense storms caused by warming temperatures due to climate change.

The project

Pump stations move floodwaters away from residences, businesses and roads, and have played a major role in protecting lower basin communities during floods. Over time, these critical public investments need to be upgraded and improved. Plans to upgrade existing pump stations started in 2012.

Completed

• 2018 — New Ramer Street Pump Station (Hoquiam)

• 2024 — New Fry Creek Pump Station (Aberdeen)

• Protects: 395 properties and eight businesses

• Cost: $1.3 million (Ramer Street) and $ 22 million (Fry Creek)

Under construction

• 2024 — New 10th Street Pump Station (Hoquiam)

• 2025 — New Queen Avenue Pump Station (Hoquiam)

• 10th Street protects: 34 properties and 16 businesses

• Queen Street protects: 222 properties and nine businesses

• Cost: $3.3 million (10th Street) and $1.9 million (Queen Street)

Ready for construction in 2027 if funded:

• K Street Pump Station (Hoquiam)

• Division Street Pump Station (Aberdeen)

• Farragut Street Pump Station (Aberdeen)

• K Street protects: 520 properties and 48 businesses

• Division Street protects: 1,303 properties and 46 businesses

• Farragut Street protects: 534 properties

• Cost: $3.4 million (K Street), $4 million (Division Street) and $6 million (Farragut Street)

These pump station projects will protect 5,100 homes, 1,354 businesses and 1,292 jobs in Grays Harbor County.

Aberdeen, Cosmopolis and Hoquiam are collectively developing a plan that identifies and prioritizes capital improvements and maintenance activities to improve flood response, manage floodwaters and boost water quality between the three cities. 

Since 2012, local, state and federal leaders have developed long-term strategies to mitigate flooding and reduce threats and damages to communities. These entities include Aberdeen, Cosmopolis and Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County, the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority and FEMA. The Department of Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) is helping move these projects off the shelf and onto the ground. 

In 2025, OCB and the independent Chehalis Basin Board will recommend which flood-damage reduction projects should receive state funding — including whether to advance construction of more pump stations in the lower basin. OCB administers and funds the Chehalis Basin Strategy, while the seven-member board, made up of community leaders with diverse interests and perspectives, leads the strategy with input and direction from residents and partners. This includes deciding which projects should be funded.

The impact

Upgrading existing pump stations in the lower basin helps reduce the detrimental impacts communities face during floods. For example, during the January 2022 flood, Hoquiam’s Ramer Street Pump Station performed flawlessly. During the last major flood, this new station pumped an estimated 51 million gallons of water over a continuous 30-hour period. As a result, the Ramer drainage basin stayed dry. A new pump station project on 10th Street in Hoquiam is scheduled to be operational later this month in time for the upcoming flood season.

The Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority coordinates efforts to reduce flood risks and improve resilience throughout the basin. Working closely with basin cities, towns and counties, the Flood Authority identifies, helps fund, and works to complete a wide range of projects that protect communities. The entity also works closely with OCB to bring flood protection projects to life quickly that provide on-the-ground benefits for local communities. The Flood Authority’s work helps advance the Chehalis Basin Strategy.

Pump stations, levees, floodwalls and related projects help reduce flood insurance rates for homeowners and businesses while protecting essential public services such as police and fire departments, medical centers and schools.

Investing $50 million to upgrade the region’s aging pump infrastructure will help protect public and private properties work over $1 billion in assessed value. In addition, responding to and recovering from flood emergencies often costs four to seven times more than investing in preventative measures like pump stations, which save $6 for every $1 spent.

“State, local and federal partnerships have bolstered resiliency and provided a catalyst for economic prosperity within the lower Chehalis basin. These partnerships have been the foundation for success in the lower basin, which has been severely distressed for decades due in large part to the vast amount of properties within the flood zone,” said Brian Shay, Hoquiam city administrator. “With the Fry Creek and 10th Street pump stations completed in 2024, the lower basin will see significant flood protection in the next flood season. The flood levees and remaining flood projects could all be completed within the next five years, making Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis resilient to flooding and climate change and removing over 5,000 properties from the FEMA-mapped flood zone.”