Flood Authority approves funding for new North Shore Levee project

Feb. 27--A joint effort between Aberdeen and Hoquiam to build a dike that would protect both cities from flooding and reduce -- or eliminate the need for some homeowners to have flood insurance -- took a major step forward this week when the Chehalis Basin Flood Authority approved $988,000 for preliminary design work.

The dike would likely start around the Stewart Field area along the Wishkah River in North Aberdeen, go south to the Chehalis River and west along the Chehalis shoreline then north along the Hoquiam River up to about the Little Hoquiam River.

"Protecting our community from chronic flooding is our number one priority," said Aberdeen Mayor Erik Larson. "We not only need to address the immediate flooding problems, but also the projected increases in frequency and severity of flooding stemming from our local rivers and streams, as well as storm surge coming from Grays Harbor."

"We're very happy to be embarking on this effort as a leader on this project," said Hoquiam Mayor Jasmine Dickhoff. "Developing this infrastructure will not only provide much-needed relief in flood insurance costs to our residents, but also help to attract investment and restore the environment. This is a real win-win for our community."

The structure, referred to as the North Shore Levee, would likely be just part of the solution, said Rick Sangder, director of Public Works for the City of Aberdeen. Pumps, retention ponds or other methods for collecting and conveying the water so that it doesn't cause flooding will be part of the project, said Sangder, who added that it could be the largest public works project ever undertaken in the communities.

The money from the Flood Authority will pay for about 60 percent of the design, Sangder said. But getting that far would be enough to ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to obtain what's called a Conditional Letter of Map Revision, which is a preliminary review by FEMA to confirm that if a project is constructed as proposed, it would result in revisions to flood insurance rate maps. If FEMA agreed to that, it would likely lead to assurances of more funding to complete design work, he said.

Some of the design and planning has already been done as part of designs for smaller projects that didn't come to fruition over the past couple of years, Sangder said. That work was done by KPFF Consulting Engineers of Lacey.

"The ultimate goal isn't only to provide meaningful and long-term flood protection, but also to reduce the significant and increasing burden of mandatory flood insurance," said Kris Koski of KPFF, project manager and a native of Aberdeen. "Historical data is showing us that in Aberdeen and Hoquiam, flood insurance participants pay significantly more in premiums than what is returned by way of paid claims. Those are dollars that leave the community never to return, and we'd like to prevent them from leaving in the first place."

Congressman Derek Kilmer and his staff provided much of the impetus for the project, Sangder said. When talking to officials in Aberdeen and Hoquiam after the January flooding in 2014, the congressman and his staff urged the two cities to work together for a big picture solution. Sangder said that as the project progresses toward construction, eventually, it would take federal money to complete.

The levee effort coincides with something being called the Timberworks Master Plan, a joint effort of Aberdeen and Hoquiam to integrate the levee and other flood-prevention methods into the communities. For instance, a method for retaining water might produce a pond or waterway that could be developed for recreation or aesthetic improvements.

Funding for the master plan is coming from Grays Harbor County. On Monday, county commissioners approved an expenditure of $250,000 for the plan.

During the Master Plan process, the team will hold public workshops and engage the community to get feedback.

"Protecting Aberdeen and Hoquiam from chronic flooding is essential to the sustainability of this region," said Jordan Rash, conservation director for Forterra, a consulting company serving as project manager for the Master Plan. "The North Shore Levee is the first piece of this puzzle, with additional investments in flood storage areas and infrastructure to further reduce flood risk to come in the years ahead."

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