Notes from the Flood Forum
Photo right: Darin Haupt and Wahkiakum County Commissioners listen to comments from the floor
Photo left: Comments from audience
Notes from Proceedings:
( These are raw notes, typed as quickly as possible while
trying to get in the gist of the proceedings. Any and all misquotes, misspellings and omissions are mine alone. )
Guests present: Over 30 community members. Mark Linquist, Dan Cothran and George Trott: Wahkiakum County Commissioners, Tim Schmitz, Bill Ower; Diking District #5, Darin Haupt, Wahkiakum Conservation District
Gordon Calver, Chair: Wahkiakum County Fair and local
landowner, Tom Bosch: Diking District and David Boyd of the Hancock group were
invited, but did not attend.
Normal meeting was suspended to present A Skamokawa Flood
Forum
Jessica opened the meeting, introducing the members of the
panel.
Meeting to gather information and explore possible
solutions. First: identify problems.
Our Diking District was most affected by the flood waters
Wahkiakum Conservation Group has been working on some “best
practices”.
Presentation started with Tim Schmitz. On Board since 1996. At that time, no functioning tide gate in the district. By the end of 1996 one gate replaced, another 4 repaired, and as much maintenance as limited budget allowed. Tim viewed lower tidegate from highway during last flood.
History: natural stream bed was closed and water diverted to new channel in the 1940s.
Class A members of district “at risk”, Class B not at risk. Class A are taxed, B: not.
Tim recently hiked the area and found a serious breach near West Valley, took many photos. Believes the breach why so much water
flooded.
245 billion gallons of water due to 20 inches of
precip. More water than system could
accommodate.
Lower tide gate is 6 foot.
Wilson Creek also completely out of its banks. Beyond scope of Skamokawa district. Perhaps a watershed district should be formed.
Quick Fix: Raise
dikes?
61 East Valley Road comment. “Timed water coming in. 7 feet in 24 minutes.” (Sleepy Hollow). Have made comments to County.
Another comment: water coming in from area of Kent Martin’s
fills the lower valley before it can run off naturally or through existing
gates and culverts.
Comment from floor: After last flood went to diking district and county. Still want to know why problem has not been
addressed.
Linda Newton (Skamokawa, near Sleepy Hollow.) 3 major issues. Hill water drains to Sleepy Hollow, County Trench through their parking lot,
designed to run water out the tide gate. Tide gate is not accommodating the amount of water. Lack of maint contributes to the
problem. Water came from east side, county
parking lot and up the valley, total four different directions. Was told they were above flood plain when house
was lifted. 18 inches of water in the
house. Have asked for four years for
ditches to be cleaned out (ditches are county property). Does not want to ask for action any
more. Feels that legal action must be
next if there is no relief.
Another comment from floor. Have observed non-functioning tide gates.
Comment from floor. Culverts under county roads no longer sufficient for drainage.
Comment from floor: Unable to build up near west creek. Told he could not build up: “Why?”
Bill C. West Valley
Creek. Didn’t get the water this time,
not as much from West Valley this time. Tim Schmitz: Bridge on this road must be seen to, due to
amount of water in most floods.
Bill C. Large
culverts let water run quickly out of fields, where previously water would
somewhat slow down while draining through fields.
Another comment: 6 to
3 feet of mud in the fields near Martins.
Tim S. District needs
to grow. (Wasn’t voted into this
office) Many people in district have not
been taxed for unknown period. Too
little money in taxes. Does not buy two
loads of rock. District may have been
sufficient in the 1940s. Not now. Nothing now to stop water coming down West Valley.
Another comment: Grew
up in East Valley. Logging has contributed to problem. Creeks are silted up. Concurring comment regarding Dead
Slough. Silted up.
Joel Newton: Feasibility
studies have been done on Slough. Permit process takes 2 years. Needs to be addressed before then. County need to fund solution and be paid back
through taxes and grants.
Another comment; (Quinn) Lets pay for the fix amongst
ourselves.
Tim: Used to be more
infrastructure, but grants have replaced this public support of public
infrastructure. Have to accept the
grant/private funding and go with it. Tim can go to County for money but does not want to go outside the scope
of ongoing studies for current fix. Middle Valley,
Dead Slough has been looked at by Wah, Cons. District. Partnered with CREST.
Darin Haupt. Background Forestry. Doing
feasibility assessments. At this point set up and ran a Power Point presentation. Slides included maps and diagrams of the
valley and Dead Slough area. Water
quality, displaced fishers, Limiting factors/salmon recovery.
Survey and design work is ongoing. Gathering data to design new structures
(previously tide gates). Still looking
for access to develop complete cross section imaging. Dead Slough needs fresh water. Will model stream to determine flushing. Don’t want to throw money at current project
if it floods you worse.
Cross Dike could protect the town. Upgrade structure and dredge.
Comment from audience: What about the mouth of the creek? Referring to failed dredging
project. “Outside the scope” (port district project)
(Lower tide gate is 60 inches) Replace with two. Ability to close off. Pumps are not being considered at this time
due to costs. (Perhaps for emergency)
This study is still in the initial stage of assessment.
Design map for area. Pointed out original confluence of West Valley and Skamokawa creeks.
We now realize that scope needs to be expanded, more local
participation needed. Presently 1.5
million project. Selling for fish
recovery. The funding source available.
Water flow, fish and sediment are currently are being monitored. (Sediment includes components of old DDT,
chlorine etc.
Water quality, Fisheries, Flood mitigation, Landowner participation, Cost benefit/local match
Operation and maintenance. (Probably from diking district)
Comment from audience: Dike at Kent Martins: even if it were
10 feet high, we still would have been hammered.
Comment from audience: Problem here is flood. Need a
more aggressive solution to the flood component of this scenario.
Will apply in spring for project funds. But need to complete date collection,
initiate permit review process. Assess
alternatives, including community assessment.
In short, mitigating flood hazards must be a more important
component of the overall plan.
Question: What kind of time line before work can start on Dead Slough etc.?
Some short term
risk minimizing work can start perhaps in 2008.
Question: More direct
approach to flood issue needed,
Comment: Cynda: district is not govt. Diking
District is govt. Our only source of
money has been from fish, direct flood relief is not possible. Hoping to get flood relief as a side
benefit.
Tim intends to work in conjunction with Conservation
Dist. Perhaps tide gate improvement can
commence earlier than the scope of the larger project.
Comments: What about
this coming February? Any funding
possible? What can be done in the short term? Can people who love fish help our
problem?
Question: Why is
funding for diking district so low? (Difficult
to ask people for more taxes?)
Comment: tax money
cannot come in to fix before this February.
Commissioner George Trott: Plan must be made and engineered before we can even apply for
funding. Without a plan somebody could
get sued. Funding from Salmon recovery
is better than it has been, the project described here has a good chance of
being funded.
Tim: Can’t even get
into the creek. Short term fix is
probably a larger pump to be on-call. (Ferguson’s
could be a source for diesel pumps: Bill
Chamberlain)
Dan Cothran: Grays River was funded. We funded dredging though ineffective. We also have a situation in the
Elochoman. Not just this district. Limited flood control money. Gotta play the game with the Feds and these
fisheries. We were blindsided be people
asking us for money. We depend of the
diking district.
Comment: Why not
CREST plan for tide gate now, put our own engineer, and go for the funding.
Pete Ringin, County engineer: “A lot to do here, only can do so much, must
stick be county priority list. Paperwork
to capture federal funds is tricky. If
not done right, they take your money. Won’t say no to volunteers to help with paperwork.
Quinn: water over
dike by tavern. Tim: water ran along dike.
Question: Can debris
behind dikes and gates be removed? Tim: Debris has been
removed. Steel screen keeps debris
out. (trash rack)
Comment; If no county money, federal possible? Tim: mitigation plan. Might qualify
for FEMA funds. “They’re on board for
that”, Doesn’t know about state
money.
Question: have you
checked for emergency money. George
Trott: State is waiting for possibility
of Federal funds. Question is still
pending. Can’t ask for money without a
specific project.
Question: Has this
problem in Skamokawa been addressed specifically?
Pete Ringin: Feds
have looked at problem here. Pete is
talking to FEMA people.
Bill C; What do we have to do to expand the district? Tim: Should probably be a Watershed rather than a diking district.
Jessica asked for show of hands of those who would be
willing to be in district even if they are not now. Most raised. (20 or so of over 30 present)
Frank Webb: Conflicts over coming up with an effective district. Cynda: Can we copy the work that Grays River has done?
Tim: A lot of
paperwork for this district is missing. Again, in the short term, a pump is best solution. Would like to discuss water volume with Darin
to determine pump size.
Jessica: relayed comment from Kay re: patrolling the pumps.
Comment: No key was
available to open park gates to get back to patrol tide gates. Answer: Park property is locked to reduce
vandalism.
Jessica: Additional
meeting soon for petitions and further discussion.
At this point, meeting adjourned for coffee, cookies and
post meeting discussions.,
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Morgain,
Secretary
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