The public is invited to participate in a free virtual webinar on Wednesday, May 7 to help shape efforts by local, Tribal, and state leaders to reduce flood-related damage and restore aquatic life in the Chehalis River basin in southwest Washington.

Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin will hold the live “Shaping the long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy” webinar from noon to 1 p.m. May 7. The event will be recorded and include a question and answer session. Participants can register on Zoom. A Spanish interpreter will also be available.

Strategy addressing interrelated challenges

Over the last century, Washington’s second-largest river drainage basin has faced vexing challenges. Salmon populations in the Chehalis Basin have declined, and floods have become more frequent and destructive. Scientists predict these trends will continue.

The Office of Chehalis Basin and the independent Chehalis Basin Board are working hand in hand on the long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy – the action plan for reducing flood-related damage and recovering salmon, steelhead, Oregon spotted frogs and other aquatic life in the Chehalis Basin for decades to come.

The webinar also kicks off a broader effort this year to keep the public informed about the strategy and offer opportunities for input. The Chehalis Basin Board and Office of Chehalis Basin will hold listening sessions, sponsor open houses and other community events, and conduct a survey to engage residents, Tribes, businesses, landowners and other interested parties.

“The Chehalis Basin Strategy is at a critical point. There are several large-scale proposals under consideration that could significantly change how basin communities prepare for and invest in flood protection and habitat restoration,” said Jeff Zenk, director for Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin. “It is vital people understand what is being considered and how they can help guide future work.”

The board is slated to release the final long-term strategy in early 2026.

Developing the Chehalis Basin Strategy

The board is responsible for developing the strategy, while the Office of Chehalis Basin provides financing, technical support, and coordination with local, Tribal, state, nonprofit and other partners.

Board members have evaluated dozens of existing scientific studies and technical reports about flooding and habitat conditions in the basin. They also gathered critical information from municipal, agricultural and business leaders, local conservation districts, entities involved in conservation and salmon and wildlife recovery, fishing and boating guides, flood preparedness and response experts, and economic and housing authorities.

“For eight years, the board has focused on better understanding the interrelated flood and habitat challenges the long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy needs to address,” said board chair Vickie Raines, who also serves as a Grays Harbor County commissioner.

“While we‘re waiting to see the results of some important technical studies underway this year,” she said, “we also look forward to hearing directly from the public on ways we can continue to keep our streams and rivers healthy with plenty of fish and keep our communities safe from flooding for generations to come.”

Key issues the board is evaluating include:

• The proper level of public investment needed over the next 30 years to restore salmon and other aquatic life in the basin.
• Whether the Chehalis Basin Strategy should incorporate the proposed flood-control dam on the Chehalis River near the town of Pe Ell. The proposal by the Chehalis River Basin Flood Control Zone District to build a unique flow-through dam is currently under environmental review. If built, the river would flow freely through the structure unless a major flood occurs. The dam would then hold back floodwaters, to be released safely later, to protect people and communities in the upper basin.
• Whether to include all or parts of the Local Actions Non-Dam alternative proposal in the strategy. The proposal, which could be an alternative to the proposed flood-control dam, entails constructing levees, floodwalls and drainage improvements in and around the cities of Centralia and Chehalis. Board members could incorporate some, all or none of the proposal into the final strategy.
• The best long-term solution for the Skookumchuck Dam. Owned and operated by the TransAlta power company, the Office of Chehalis Basin is studying what would happen if the dam were removed, modified or left unchanged, and whether it could be operated or improved to reduce flooding and increase fish passage in the Skookumchuck River basin.

Building on successful strategy projects

Since 2017, the board has approved and overseen more than 140 successful projects in the 2,700 square-mile basin. These projects are protecting nearly 300 acres of new habitat for salmon and other species and safeguarding more than 200 homes and businesses from flooding.

The board-approved projects include measures to keep the Montesano Wastewater Treatment Plant from being breached by the Wynoochee River, and restoring two river miles of complex aquatic habitat for coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in Stillman Creek in Lewis County.

Board members also directed new studies, such as controlling streambank erosion and assessing the Skookumchuck Dam, and approved monitoring spring Chinook salmon in several basin rivers.

“For decades, people fought over how to find solutions to address flooding and declining salmon runs in the Chehalis Basin – with little to show for it,’ said board member J Vander Stoep. “But that’s not the reality anymore. We are making real progress with projects done on time and on budget that are reducing flood risks and restoring salmon and other species in the basin. The long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy will continue benefiting communities far into the future.

About the Chehalis Basin Board

The diverse seven-member Chehalis Basin Board was created by the Washington Legislature in 2016. Its members represent:

• Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority
• Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
• Quinault Indian Nation
• Agricultural, economic and environmental interests

The board also includes non-voting ex officio members representing the Washington departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, Natural Resources and Transportation, and Washington State Conservation Commission.

Find out more about the long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy and share ideas about the future of the basin.