The Chehalis Basin Board continues to move forward with developing and evaluating LAND — a Local Actions Non-Dam approach to reducing major flood damage across the Basin.
Three board members — Glen Connelly from the Chehalis Tribe, Tyson Johnston from the Quinault Indian Nation, and Steve Malloch — will participate in the steering committee alongside others representing local Basin communities, local governments, and environmental and economic development interests. The final group will be announced in the coming weeks.
“The Chehalis Tribe has deemed this a critical effort, and I’m looking forward to helping craft something that really fits the whole watershed and helps reduce flooding,” said Connelly. “My experience is in bigger picture planning around flooding and environmental protection, and I’m really excited to get started.”
At its Oct. 7 board meeting, the board unanimously approved a set of planning assumptions and outcomes for this work, which include using a 30-year time frame, three options for geographic focus areas, planning for 100-year flood predictions now and in 2080, and more. You can download the full set of outcomes and assumptions from the Chehalis Basin Board website.
“It’s our goal to pursue the most diverse membership possible, and we’ve heard quite a bit of interest in it, which makes me feel very positive,” said Johnston. “The Quinault Indian Nation looks forward to seeing this effort come to fruition and move forward in a positive way.”
In July, Gov. Jay Inslee put a hold on plans for a dam on the Chehalis as a flood-prevention measure, and the board has been working since to come up with plans that would not include a dam.
The board envisions a phased approach to developing the LAND alternative and comprehensive basin-wide road map for flood damage reduction. It will incorporate existing analyses and concurrent planning efforts by partners and local governments.
For more on the Chehalis Basin Board, visit ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Who-we-are/Our-Programs/Office-of-Chehalis-Basin.
