Flood levee repairs get under way throughout King County

First 55 projects undertaken by countywide Flood Control Zone District

Record flooding that continues to plague countless communities along the Mississippi River serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to strengthen river levees and other structures here in King County.

With the vivid imagery of the devastation in the Midwest still sharply in focus, the King County Flood Control Zone District is beginning its first season of levee repairs and other flood prevention projects. It will be the busiest season for levee work by King County in years, and projects will be implemented by the Water and Land Resources Division of King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

“These early action projects represent some of the most important work that we must complete before the fall rains come,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “Our flood plan protects people, their property and our commerce – and it will be carried out in an environmentally responsible manner.”

This summer’s busy work schedule of 55 projects is governed by the King County Flood Hazard Management Plan, which was developed by the King County Executive and adopted by the Metropolitan King County Council in 2007. The plan identifies $335 million in critical flood protection repairs to the County’s aging flood prevention infrastructure.

The County Council in 2007 created a new countywide Flood Control Zone District to manage roughly $35 million annually for flood plan implementation. Members of the County Council serve as ex-officio members of the District’s Board of Supervisors, and receive recommendations from a 15-member advisory committee comprised of elected and community leaders from across King County.

“With the devastation in the Midwest and our region’s heavy rainfall, all county residents benefit from a coordinated approach to flood management that will help rebuild our flood prevention infrastructure,” said Supervisor Julia Patterson, chair of the Board of Supervisors.

“We are thrilled that work has begun,” said Supervisor Reagan Dunn, chair of the District’s Executive Board. “In our first season, the Flood Control Zone District is already implementing projects of significance. We want to protect county residents against the destruction and devastation experienced in past years.”

King County’s flood protection system includes more than 119 miles of levees that protect lives and more than $7 billion in economic infrastructure inside the county’s 25,000 acres of floodplain.

Flood-management projects scheduled to begin this summer include:

• Repairing more than one mile of levees along the Green River in Kent that protect valuable commercial and industrial land, state highways and major arterial streets. Work on this project will take place for seven days a week, beginning in July.
• Repairing 150 feet of levee along the Snoqualmie River near Fall City that has a high risk of sudden and catastrophic breach. Evidence of seepage and underground erosion has been observed during recent flood events, making this project a top priority.
• Repairing 200 feet of a levee along the Raging River near the Preston-Fall City Road that was damaged during the November 2006 flood.
• Repairing more than one-third of a mile of levees that are protecting homes in Auburn.
• Setting back levees on both banks of the Cedar River east of Renton to restore the floodplain and reduce the risk of damage to nearby flood protection facilities.
• Acquiring the 20-acre Cedar Grove Mobile Home Park, which sits in a dangerous floodplain along the Cedar River in Maple Valley. King County is acquiring the property, which is routinely flooded, and relocating the residents.
  

“Flooding disrupts jobs, our economy, and our ability to get around. It destroys homes and farms, ruins crops and in the worst case, it takes lives,” said Supervisor Kathy Lambert, who represents Northeast King County communities that are often hardest hit by heavy winter rains.

“The cost of flooding affects the entire region,” said Supervisor Larry Gossett. “With projects on the Snoqualmie, Cedar, and Green Rivers, we are truly addressing the issue of flooding on a regional basis.”

Related Links

King County Flood Control Zone District

King County Flood Hazard Management Plan

River and Floodplain Management

King County Water and Land Resources Division