Office of Chehalis Basin

Building on the success of the earlier Chehalis Basin Work Group, the 2016 Washington Legislature created the Office of Chehalis Basin within Ecology and established the Chehalis Basin Board. Our Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) administers funding and works closely with the Board to aggressively pursue implementation of the Chehalis Basin Strategy. In April 2018, Andrea McNamara Doyle was chosen to lead the office.

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Skookumchuck River meandering through agricultural land, trees, and rural areas. — Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Besides forming the Office of Chehalis Basin, the Legislature also established the Chehalis Basin Board to provide long-term oversight of the strategy. The board is responsible for developing budget recommendations to the Governor’s office to implement the strategy. The Office of Chehalis Basin provides support to the board.

The seven-member board typically meets monthly. Members represent the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, and Quinault Indian Nation, as well as agricultural, environmental, and economic interests in the basin. There are also five non-voting board members representing various state agencies. Visit the Chehalis Basin Board's webpage for more information about board meetings and members.

2022 Chehalis Basin Board meetings

Upcoming meeting (Please note: Zoom link will only activate on meeting date)

August 4, 2022 hybrid (in person/online) meeting: Board members and presenters are encouraged to attend in person. Public should continue participating via Zoom (online) until further notice.

Zoom meeting link OR call-in Number: 551-285-1373; passcode: 161-195-0990#
In person location: Chehalis Tribe Community Center, 491 Secena Rd, Oakville, WA

* Meeting materials: Additional meeting materials are posted on Chehalis Basin Board ezView webpage.

2022 meeting dates and locations	Agenda
January 6, 2022	*Agenda Meeting summary
February 3, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary
March 3, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary
April 7, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary
May 5, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary
June 2, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary
June 24, 2022 - Special Meeting	*Agenda Meeting Summary
July 7, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary
August 4, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary not yet available
August 18, 2022 - Special Meeting	*Agenda Meeting Summary not yet available
September 1, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary not yet available
October 6, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary not yet available
November 3, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary not yet available
December 1, 2022	*Agenda Meeting Summary not yet available

Helping reduce flood damage, restore aquatic habitat

Flooded houses and fields on the Chehalis River, while the airport and freeway, protected by a levee, are dry. — The Chehalis River flooding next to the Chehalis Airport, which is protected by a levee, on Jan. 7, 2022. *Image courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation.*

Covering nearly 2,700 square miles of southwest Washington, the Chehalis River basin is at a turning point. For decades, peak seasonal flood levels have been rising — with five of the basin's largest historical floods occurring during the last 30 years.

Besides the 125 mile-long Chehalis River which drains to the Grays Harbor estuary on the Pacific Coast, the Chehalis Basin also includes the Black, Elk, Hoquiam, Humptulips, Johns, Newaukum, Satsop, Skookumchuck, Wishkah, and Wynoochee rivers, and their tributary streams.

Due to climate change, we expect the trend of larger, more frequent flooding in the basin to continue.

Chehalis Basin home to array of important habitats

Meandering river coming very close to I-5 — The Chehalis River meandering in fields next to Interstate 5 in Lewis County.

The state's second largest river system is uniquely fertile and abundant. The Chehalis River Basin is one of the few major river basins in Washington without any federally-listed endangered salmon. The Chehalis Basin also has the highest diversity of amphibian species anywhere in the state and supports various fish species including salmon, trout, lamprey, and the Olympic mudminnow.

However, the basin's ability to support some types of fish has decreased by as much as 80 percent. Poor returns have significantly limited harvests for tribal and non-tribal fisheries. If aquatic habitat in the basin does not improve, some salmon species could become endangered.

Contact information

Cindy Bradley
Executive Assistant
cindy.bradley@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-7674

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