The Chehalis Basin Strategy provided the Washington state Legislature with a status report update last month, according to a news release containing a summary of the report.
It described progress on the many projects currently underway focusing on flood damage control and prevention as well as aquatic species habitat restoration through a three-phase implementation plan.
Community, local, state and tribal government representatives all are a part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy, along with scientists, basin residents, business owners, nonprofit organizations and the Chehalis Basin Board, which oversees the strategy.
Phase one has been completed, which included more than 140 flood and habitat projects with $152 million in investments starting in 2012 and ending during the last Legislative biennium.
Now, phase two is currently underway and will require the Chehalis Basin Board to finalize the long-term, integrated vision for the Chehalis Basin Strategy. The board will have to:
• Make provisional decisions on the recommended approach to flood damage reduction.
• Establish long-term investment levels throughout the Strategy.
• Prioritize strategy projects to maximize benefits.
• Monitor project performance to decide if any new governance structures will be needed to continue carrying out the Chehalis Basin Strategy.
Among the main decisions currently facing the Chehalis Basin Board include the next steps toward construction of the flood retention facility on the Chehalis River near Pe Ell and which elements of the Local Area Non-Dam Alternative Steering Group’s recommendations to implement.
Phase two’s completion is expected sometime between the third quarter of 2024 and 2026. Once completed, the strategy’s final phase will begin, according to the release. It will involve the Chehalis Basin Strategy continuing to secure appropriate funding from diverse sources, scale implementation of srategy goals, adaptively managing project implementation and establishing any new governance structures if needed.
For more information, visit https://chehalisbasinstrategy.com/.
