Hello wonderful people!

Question: At one of the last of these public meetings, a representive of the Seattle District, Corps of Engineers undermined the entire public process by declaring that there were no alternatives to the Corps preferred dam project. So what is the purpose of this meeting?

not Ecology - WSDOT - Bart

Isn't Bart G from WSDOT?

Can the public attend the board meetings?

yes, the board meetings are open to the public and each meeting provides time for public comment.

Thank you

Where is the meeting tomorrow being held and what time?

Can you provide the Zoom link for the meeting?

The meeting runs from 9am-12pm. The information can be found here: https://www.ezview.wa.gov/site/alias__1962/37068/chehalis_basin_board.aspx

@Ken, Thank you

Who will own, operate, and pay to maintain the dam?

The ownership of the dam is not decided. The Lewis County Flood Control Zone District is the proponent and is funded by the State for this initial stage of work.

Where might we find the analysis supporting this figure?

How was the timeline changed once Governor Inslee requested a "pause" and a look at non-dam alternatives? Did the OCB receive more time in order to thoroughly investigate alternatives?

How is it possible to try to build a dam when the ownership of the dam isn’t decided?

Steve Hinton, we can provide you with the board notes that supported the development of the map Andrea showed.

Thank you Jim

Andrea will talk about how the pause created more time for investigation of options.

How, if any, does the ACOE dredging project of the channel in Grays Harbor improve or impact the Chehalis Basin?

Thanks Jim.

My understanding of the dredging in Grays Harbor is for navigation. It would not have a impact flooding upstream.

The Wyoochee and Satsop subbasins are two of the highest eroding watersheds in the Chehalis Basin, due to lack of state enforcement of forestry practices on DNR and private timber lands, particularly from forest roads. Sediment from these two subbasins continue to pour into the Grays Harbor estuary where Corps dredging is carried out. A slide showed that restoration efforts were taking place only from Wynoochee river mile 14.0-16.2 and Satsop river mile 7.8-10.8. What else is proposed to restore these two subbasins?

How is it when this dam was first brought up the Corp. told us they were tearing dams down not giving permits for them and we continue to waste money in this area. How much have we spent and what part of NO don't you understand?

In regard to the Wynoochee and Satsop Rivers, they are two of the high priority areas for miles of restoration.

Is this new analyses available for public review?

Where can we find these analyses?

1200 families being impacts is significant. Has the review been focused on how we can relieve the impacts to these families specifically? And at least cost to the tax payers as a whole?

Are these reports only available on the Dept of Ecology website or are there also links on the Chehalis Basin Stategy website?

TO: Jim Kramer. Will the private forest industry pay to restore the damage they have done to the Wynoochee and Satsop Subbasins or will these costs be borne by the taxpayer?

how can you look at a report that says it will reduce populations of salmon which are already in trouble and decide that a dam is a good idea?

Many of the analyses are available on the Chehalis Basin Strategy website. Let us know if there is something else that you would like.

If the dam is built, sites of significant cultural importance will be inundated. How will this be mitigated?

All materials from Chehalis Basin Board meetings are posted here: https://www.ezview.wa.gov/site/alias__1962/37068/chehalis_basin_board.aspx

Alternatives to the dam are have been and are continuing to be explored. Andrea will mention this work in her presentation.

Can someone clean the “RED” lines from the screen?

The Chehalis River Basin Flood Control Zone District has posted files regarding the proposed dam on their website here, including their Draft Mitigation Opportunities Assessment Report: https://www.chehalisriverbasinfczd.com/eis-supporting-documents

David Ortman, there is no proposal at this time for private forest landowners to pay for restoration beyond what is required as part of the state Forest Practices rules.

The red is a mystery to us and not sure how to get rid of it. Sorry!

http://www.chronline.com/opinion/guest-commentary-dam-continues-status-quo-that-created-salmon-crisis/article_e063ba56-6fee-11eb-b8e3-971c080e29e1.html

The impacts of the dam on cultural resources is currently being discussed by the Corps/Ecology with the tribes and others. There is no conclusion on the ability to mitigate those impacts.

That’s because it’s impossible to mitigate that

The dam is on pause ?

Will the SEPA/NEPA FEISs respond to comments on these documents?

Ron, Andrea just mentioned the current work that is happening in regard to the dam. In response to the Governor, work on the dam has continued to assess the ability to avoid, reduce or mitigate the impacts of the dam.

David, my understanding is that both SEPA and NEPA final EISs will respond to the comments received on the drafts.

part of the erosion problem is due to the nutria that have taken a very strong hold in the basin

What is the RED SCRIBBLE located on the screen throughout this webcast? May want to clear that. =)

The red scribble is very distracting!

TO: Jim Kramer. Perhaps I was not clear: Will the lead agencies respond in writing to comments ON the FEISs when they are released?

What about Weyerhaeuser? Why are they allowed to clear-cut along the river? That’s a huge contributor to the problem!

What time does the meeting begin tomorrow morning?

You know when kids get a hold of the Sharpies, you just can’t clean that wall. No matter what the paint can promised.

David, I can't speak to exactly how Ecology and the Corps will respond specially to comments. We will continue to ask them how they plan to respond.

DK, the Board meeting starts at 9am tomorrow. You can find the agenda here: https://www.ezview.wa.gov/site/alias__1962/37068/chehalis_basin_board.aspx

I'm concerned this climate analysis is "initial". Do we believe more than 1200 families will be impacted? Wasn't the SEPA and NEPA analysis tasked with evaluating this possibility?

Jim, I believe you want to "disable attendee annotation"

Three harvest hasn’t within 50-100 feet of the river hasn’t been allowed in the last few years.

Does that include the possibility of raising I-5 above the floodplain?

Hang in there Andrea!

You’ve got this Andrea.

Take a drink, Andrea!

Forests that are young or that have been clear-cut can’t retain soil during heavy rains. It doesn’t matter whether or not they are within 100 feet of the river. They will still massively erode in heavy rains. We need to manage forests so they retain moisture. If that were done properly it would negate the need for this ridiculous dam.

have you considered the effects of the nutria to the banks of the River?

I tried to get DNR to the table from 2000 to 2012 did you ever get them to the table?

The number of landslides in the headwaters are is numbing. It’s very disturbing that huge areas were allowed to be cut on steep slopes with unstable soils.

As new studies are released, will the public have an opportunity to respond with questions on these?

If you question the forest practice applications then I find that you are ignored anyway or the forester gets offended.

Is there an estimate on the life span of the dam (i.e., how long before it would need to be repaired/replaced?)

Lauren, there is no official estimate for the life of the dam. It has been suggested by engineers that it could last for more than 150 years. The life of some dams is compromised by sediment filling up the reservoir. That is not expected to happen with this proposed facility because the river flows through it except during major flood events.

Is it possible to zoom in on each of those maps?

Point of clarification: Am I understanding you correctly that the river will be free flowing through the dam at all times except during floods? There will normally be no impounded water? Is that what you mean by flow "except during major flood events"?

ok not a question but I had trouble getting in first only video and then only screens. I actually drew a circle around my location and a line to show where Berwick creek is. 2 doors down. lol. I can't erase it ( drawn in red) because I wasn't on at the time. I think it's the red lines your seeing

Don, restoring wetlands and floodplain areas has been looked at and the results don't indicate that approach can address the damage in major floods because the Chehalis floodplain is largely flooded valley wall to valley wall in major floods. We are continuing to look at structures like levees, floodproofing structures and buy properties from willing sellers as well as land use management to prevent more floodprone development.

What is the usual project lifespan used by the Corps of Engineers for calculating the costs and benefits of a proposed project? Also, how does the choice of a project lifespan affect the project cost-benefit analysis?

Timothy, your are correct. The dam is proposed only to reduce the flow through the dam during major flood events.

Jim, I don't know what assumptions the Corp uses but we will check.

Am I correct to assume substantial areas of timber and terrestrial vegetation will still not survive, or is there hope that the terrestrial vegetation currently in place will survive periodic flooding since the period of flooding is reduced?

...That last question pertains to the area behind the dam.

Timothy, the dam proponent, Lewis County Flood Control District recently completed a vegetation management plan that identifies how vegetation will change in different parts of the impoundment area. Survival and type of vegetation varies significant in different parts of the area. This information was not in the EISs.

How is ASRP related to the dam?

Question: Have minimum stream flows been set for all streams/rivers in the Chehalis Basin? What about optimum stream flows?

David Linn, the ASRP has been intentionally kept separate from the dam and mitigation. The ASRP is not mitigation.

Are the counties developing ordinances to stop development in the floodplain?

Comments can be submitted via email. What is your address?

What is the best website to find volunteer opportunities?

David Ortman, I don't know the answer to your questions about stream flows. I know that basin is overappropriated. We can get the answer to your questions.

For volunteer opportunities, look to www.chehalisleadentity.org

Ron, counties have regulations that limit development in the floodplain. The Chehalis Board is discussing additional recommendations for local governments.

@Kirsten, Thank you

Thank you Jim.

Comments on the Chehalis Basin Strategy can be emailed to info@chehalisbasinstrategy.com and they will be shared with Office of Chehalis Basin staff

Don, there are graphics in the EISs that show the impacts of the dam on salmon. There has not yet been a cross comparison between the dam impacts and the ASRP.

Thank you, Ken. Copy-n-pasted.

The natural (pre-development) Chehalis River floodplain narrows near the airport to ~1.8 km width. In this area, pediments of engineered fill have been constructed atop the natural floodplain for commercial development. Levees of course have also been constructed. Because of the development and the levees, the effective diameter of the valley narrows to 0.9 km, or 1/2 the width of the natural floodplain there. As a result, the airport levee system and the pediments where the valley has been narrowed cause hydraulic ponding in the upstream direction (south) and reduce the storage capacity of the floodplain and also lower the potential discharge capacity significantly at full flood flow. This exacerbates flooding to the south of this location owing to the low gradient in that reach. Between river mile 66 near Centralia and river mile 77, eleven miles to the south at Chehalis, that gradient is ~0.35 ft/mile, or roughly only four inches per mile—quite flat and easily foldable. What are plans for facing this?

What strategies are actually being forwarded to the Board at this juncture?

Is it feasible and/or realistic ti raise I5 to allow for waterrflow and fish passage in the Chehalish area?

Will bd mtgs be open to public?

I meant to say “easily floodable” in my question, but autocorrect changed it to “foldable”.

This has been an excellent presentation. Thank you, Andrea, Jim and Ken.

Joe, Board meetings are open to the public. Information on tomorrow's meeting is available here: https://www.ezview.wa.gov/site/alias__1962/37068/chehalis_basin_board.aspx

Well presented and good summary of both flood and habitat elements of the strategy. Thank you to Andrea, Jim and Ken.

Thank you for all the information, great presentation.

Excellent! Thank you so much for the presentation.

I agree. Excellent presentation. Andrea and others, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who attended tonight and took time out of their evening to participate, it is greatly appreciated.

I would like to make a brief comment if there is time, but the hand raising feature is not showing up for me.

Your presentation is greatly appreciated. We have more info to ponder and work.

Hand raising is under the "reactions" tab/button.

Just found it thanks!

I did not bring that up

Thanks Andrea -- very kind of you.

Ron you need to mute one of your devices to avoid the echo

Oral comments submitted: My name is David E. Ortman, Seattle, WA, formerly the Director of the Friends of the Earth Northwest Office and I am submitting the following comments:Ecology has always paid mere lip service to public participation. It is not helpful to advertise a public meeting as having 30 minutes for comments and then running overtime.This Question submitted at the beginning of the meeting was not read as submitted: At one of the last of these public meetings, a representative of the Seattle District, Corps of Engineers undermined the entire public process by declaring that there were no alternatives to the Corps preferred dam project. So what is the purpose of this meeting?In 2012, the Seattle Corps District, despite warning, embarked on a Shoalwater Bay Barrier Dune, two miles long and over 20 feet high of dredge spoils costing tens of millions of dollars in Willapa Bay. Between 2015-2016 three major storms had done significant damaging to the sand berm.

I don't have the equipment for you to here me. Has DNR come to the table and gotten involved?

David E. Ortman comments continued:

David E. Ortman comments continued: In 2018, more of the berm washed away, resulting in the Corps contracting for 10,000 tons of rocks. And yet, in January and November 2020, more major storms tore away more of the berm.Go to Willapa Bay and review the Corps history of its great wall of China berm and decide for yourself whether you trust any engineering recommendations made by the Corps for the feasibility of a new Chehalis River dam.

Yeah!

L-Pod

Orca also prey on chum.It’s their second preferred prey.

A new calf is great news.

Thank you Cindy!

Has WDFW had any input on this project?

I own 160 acres of timber immediately upriver from the dam. DNR has prohibited logging on over 20 acres along the river to protect fish and water quality. If the dam is built, Lewis County gets to log over $100,000 of my timber without mitigation. Such logging of the reservoir area will cause continual damage to fish and water quality year after year. No mitigation exists.

Approximately 80 percent of the Southern Resident orca diet consists of Chinook salmon,

I tried raising a hand using 'reactions' but am not sure it showed up? I also still don't see the 'raise hand' button..

A study on hydrologic impacts from forest practices should have been done years ago.

Well where did all the hydrology layers come from that are used in the fspar (GIS) system come from? There must be some type of way to do this without waiting years.

How involved is WSDOT been in these discussions?

Thank you for staying on late and allowing us to comment!

Thanks everyone.

Thank you for the very informative meeting as I'm new to this area.

Thanks for such a great presentation and for all you time and effort on this project.

Excellent presentation! Thank you

www.chehalisbasinstrategy.com

Thanks everyone! Rest your throat, Andrea!

Thank you!