Receding floodwaters reveal acres of mud covering the small rural community of Curtis on Tuesday Dec. 4, 2007.
The Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) will host a virtual public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
During the session, staff will provide an update on the actions under consideration to restore aquatic species habitat and reduce flood damages for basin communities as part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy, according to a press release.
“This is a major opportunity for the public, particularly Chehalis Basin residents, to directly weigh in on the strategy’s development ahead of the Chehalis Basin Board’s recommendations on which actions to include as part of the long-term strategy,” the Office of the Chehalis Basin wrote in a press release.
The strategy includes a proposed dam on the upper reaches of the Chehalis River near Pe Ell along with millions of dollars for aquatic species habitat restoration.
The board’s recommendations are expected by the end of March 2021.
The Chehalis Basin Strategy is a long-term plan designed to address “precipitous decline of salmon and other aquatic species and the certainty that catastrophic flooding will once again devastate the Basin,” according to the press release.
“This is an opportunity for basin residents and others to hear the latest information directly from our team, get answers to their questions and directly shape decisions that could impact our daily lives and certainly the future health of the region,” said OCB Director Andrea McNamara Doyle.
To register for the Feb. 17 meeting, visit ChehalisBasinStrategy.com.
This is the second of three public meetings since Gov. Jay Inslee requested that the board examine a potential basinwide approach to flood damage reduction that does not include a dam, while also further evaluating ways to reduce or mitigate negative impacts associated with the proposed dam.
The third and final meeting before the board makes its recommendation on the long-term strategy will take place virtually on Tuesday, March 9.
A meeting recording will be distributed for later viewing for those who are unable to attend. Chehalis Basin residents and others may also contact the OCB directly via email, phone or mail:
Send mail to Office of Chehalis Basin, Washington Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA, 98503, call 360-407-6000 or email info@chehalisbasinstrategy.com.
