Chehalis River Basin

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Chehalis River Basin
Cost-effective Flood Risk Mitigation
Prepared by the Washington Council of Trout
Unlimited January, 2010
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Chehalis River Basin
Washingtons second largest river basin 3,350
stream miles
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Floodplain Management

• Floods A natural process of rivers that provide
  both risk and opportunity

• Rivers will do what rivers do

• Work with rivers instead of against them

• Our approach to managing floods and floodwaters
  is fundamentally wrong

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
We should answer the following when exploring
strategies

• What are the values or assets to protect or
  enhance?

• What are the risks or opportunities for
  enhancement?

• What is the range of risk-reduction or
  opportunity- enhancement strategies available?

• How well does each strategy reduce the risk or
  enhance the resource?

• What other risks or benefits does each strategy
  introduce?

• Are the costs imposed by each strategy too high?

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Facts about the Chehalis River Basin
Population. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140,000 Basin
size (square miles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 2,700 Counties with
significant land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grays Harbor, Thurston, Lewis, Mason Major
Population Centers Chehalis . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 7,055 Centralia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12,000 Aberdeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16,000 Hoquiam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .
9,700 Major Rivers . . . . . . . . . .Chehalis,
Black, Humptulips, Hoquiam, Wishkah, Satsop,
Wynoochee Land Uses Forestry . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 87 Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 Urban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Tribal
Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . Confederated
Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Quinault
Indian Nation Major anadromous fish species . .
. Chinook, Coho, Chum, Steelhead trout Water
facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 lakes,
ponds and reservoirs
3,350 linear stream
miles Water use and allocation Estimated Number
of Exempt Wells . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16,947 Number of water right permits and
certificates . . . . . . . 2,524 Number of water
right claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 8,418
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Causes of, and impacts due to, Chehalis River
Basin floods
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Historic clearcuts of douglas fir, spruce, hemlock
Todays Tree farm forestry
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Land Use Practices Aerial Photography
LightHawk flight(s) in March 2010
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Todays logging practices
Upper Chehalis Basin
Skookumchuck Reservoir
Skookumchuck River
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Result of logging and road construction on steep
slopes (Stillman Creek)
Landslides due to logging and road construction
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Result of logging on steep slopes (Pe Ell)
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Result of logging on steep slopes (Pe Ell)
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
January 8, 2009
Cause and effect Commercial and residential
development within the historic Chehalis River
floodplain
Engineered solution eleven miles of levees and
increased water retention capacity behind
Skookumchuck Dam
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Lives and Property Endangered
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Transportation and commerce interrupted
Note the failed levee constructed to protect the
airport
Air, Rail and Ground Transportation
Infrastructure Under Water
Failed levee
Amtrak rails displaced and flooded
Freight deliveries delayed for days (Impact 4
million per day)
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
1. Twin Cities Project
A. Skookumchuck retention capacity increased from
35,000 to 55,000 acre feet
B. Eleven miles of levees
2. General Investigation
C. South Fork Chehalis 40,000 acre feet (two
turbines)
D. Chehalis River 226,700 acre feet (two
turbines)
A
B
D
C
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
1996 flood (100-year) with and without Twin
Cities Project 11 miles of levees and 20,000
acre feet of additional water retention behind
Skookumchuck Dam
Proposed levees
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Skookumchck Dam at capacity January 8, 2009
540-acre area with a 35,000 acre-feet capacity
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Skookumchuck River below dam Notice
the turbidity
(photo by Bruce Treichler 10/09)
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Lewis County PUD Proposed Water Retention /
Hydro Projects

• Boisfort Valley (40,000 acre feet)

• Pe Ell (226,700 acre feet)

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
From WDFW (November 2009)

• The Protected Areas Amendment to the NW Power
  Planning Act prohibits access to the NW Power
  Grid for power generated from new hydro projects
  that are built in river segments that are
  accessible to anadromous fish.

• They would be unable to transmit the power
  generated at these new dams without a change in
  federal law.

• If the instream flow augmentation were
  intended to fulfill fish mitigation objectives,
  then the preliminary figures for storage were
  inadequate

• Some of the most heavily spawned habitat would
  be inundated by the proposed dams.

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
South Fork Chehalis Arrows indicate approximate
dam placement
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
South Fork Chehalis 40,000 acre feet with two
turbines
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Chehalis River Arrows indicate approximate dam
placement
Pe Ell
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Chehalis River 226,700 acre feet with two
turbines
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Wildlife negatively impacted by proposed
Chehalis Basin flood control projects
(a partial list)
Chinook salmon
Coho salmon
Steelhead trout
Cutthroat trout
Bulltrout
Rainbow trout
Sturgeon
Cougar
Chum salmon
Elk
Orca
These Chehalis Basin-dependent natural treasures
require clear, cold, free-flowing water to survive
Will you stand by and watch them disappear
forever?
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
WDFW Concerns Associated with Proposed Dams
(Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting May 8 and
9, 2009)

• Locations are in anadromous waters.

• Many miles of salmonid habitat, including most
  of the spawning habitat in the upper Chehalis
  system.

• The next project task will include a detailed
  evaluation and impacts of dam construction and
  operation to fish and wildlife resources.

• This phase of the study will require significant
  Department participation.

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Work Plan
Executive Summary
Proposed flood control and hydro projects

• Twin Cities Project
• Additional water retention capacity of
  Skookumchuck Reservoir (20, 000 acre feet)
• Eleven miles of levees

• B. Chehalis Basin-wide General Investigation
• Evaluation of all potential flood mitigation
  projects including two proposed by the Lewis
  County Public Utilities District
• South Fork Chehalis River near Boisfort
• 40,000 acre feet
• Two turbines
• Chehalis River near Pe Ell
• 226,700 acre feet
• Two turbines

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Environmental Concerns

• Ineffective flood control due to
• Land use practices
• Forest practices
• Floodplain development (residential and
  commercial)
• Water retention and distribution
• Geotechnical report (PUD water retention)

Ineffective Environmental Laws (cities, state,
federal)
Inadequate Scoping Document (LC PUD)
Climate change
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Solution strategies
Enforcement of existing regulations

• WCTU participation in Chehalis Basin policy
  decisions
• Chehalis Basin Flood Authority
• Chehalis Basin Partnership
• Chehalis River Fish and Aquatics Work Group

• Develop actual Cost / Benefits Analysis
• Local residents
• Business owners
• Tourism and recreation
• Safety
• Habitat protection
• Biodiversity

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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
Communication strategies

• WCTU position statements
• TU media contacts
• WCTU Ric Abbett
• TU Kate Miller
• Process review
• Sensitive information under development

Issue evaluation strategies

• Historic aerial photography
• Historic media footage
• Historic flood data
• Observe and photograph existing conditions
• Partner with like-minded individuals and
  organizations
• Meet with elected and appointed government and
  tribal officials

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WE CANNOT
Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
ONLY WHEN THE LAST TREE HAS BEEN CUT
AND THE LAST WETLAND HAS BEEN DEVELOPED
AND THE LAST RIVER HAS BEEN DAMMED
AND THE LAST WILD FISH HAS BEEN CAUGHT
WILL WE REALIZE THAT
EAT MONEY
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Chehalis River Basin
Proposed Flood Control and Hydro Projects
WCTU Chehalis Basin Flood Control and Hydro
Committee
Chair Ric Abbett
Grays Harbor County Joe Durham
Lewis County Don Schluter
Thurston County Bruce Treichler
TU Staff Kate Miller
Support from WCTU upon request
Concerns associated with engineered solutions

• Unenforced land use practices in the upper
  basin, mainstem and floodplain

• Water quantity and quality

• Habitat loss and degradation

Action plan (high level)

• Prepare Cost / Benefit Analysis Healthy
  Chehalis Basin

• Recommend effective solutions

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Mission Conserving, Protecting and Restoring
North America's coldwater fisheries and their
watersheds.
Vision By the next generation, ensure that North
Americas coldwater fisheries are clean and
healthy enough to support thriving populations of
native and wild fish.