Chehalis River
Geographic Response Plan (GRP)
Nov. 13, 2023 - Dec. 13, 2023, 5 p.m.
We are updating the Chehalis River Geographic Response Plan (CHER-GRP). An important part of the update process is hearing from the people who live, work, and play in the GRP area. To facilitate this, a public comment period will be open from November 13 to December 13, 2023.
Description of the Planning Area
The Chehalis Basin is the second-largest river basin in Washington, draining 2,700 square miles. The planning area begins on the Chehalis River, upstream of Cosmopolis at river mile (RM) 4. It follows the river southeast to the city of Chehalis (RM 70), and then west to Pe Ell (RM 110). The plan also covers the lower miles of the Chehalis tributaries, including the South Fork Chehalis River, Newaukum River, Skookumchuck River, Black River, Satsop River, and Wynoochee River, and many other creeks and streams.
You can view draft Chehalis River GRP sections here: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/ezshare/sppr/preparedness/CHER_GRP/CHER_PublicCommentPeriodCoverPage.pdf.
What are Geographic Response Plans?
Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) are used to guide early response actions in the event of an oil spill. Ecology develops and updates GRPs in collaboration with state, local, and federal agencies and tribes. Each GRP is written for a specific area — for example, a river, a lake, or section of Puget Sound. Each GRP includes tactical response strategies tailored to a particular shore or waterway at risk of injury from oil.
GRPs have two main objectives:
- Identify sensitive natural, cultural, or significant economic resources at risk of injury from oil spills.
- Describe and prioritize response strategies in an effort to reduce injury to sensitive natural, cultural, and certain economic resources at risk from oil spills.
More information
Comment online
- Use our online comment form
Comment by mail
Dept. of Ecology, Spills Program
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Questions
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