Dredge Satsop?

Just when you think you have seen it all!


Bill would likely approve dredging and flood-prevention project on Satsop River
Louis KraussWed Apr 10th, 2019 11:23amNews






An amendment to a bill designed to build up salmon runs in order to provide more prey for orca, might help East County area farmers who have lost land to the Satsop River.
The main purpose of House Bill 1579 is to increase chinook abundance as encouraged by the state’s orca task force, which wants to improve the salmon populations to help provide more food for orcas, a population under great stress.

The amendment to HB 1579 proposes three river dredging projects, one each in Grays Harbor, Snohomish and Whatcom counties, intended to reduce the threat of flooding and study whether that improves salmon habitat.
Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim), who proposed the amendment, said it’s not certain but that the Satsop was very likely to be the river chosen in Grays Harbor County.
“It’s by far the worst river as far as this issue is concerned,” Van De Wege said. “It’s going over its banks often, gravel built up is forcing the river to go in other directions, wiping out farmland, impacting county roads, I think a PUD road is close to being impacted.”
The project would mainly consist of dredging in the main channel of the river, which Van de Wege said would not likely take place upstream where salmon are spawning. The idea would be by removing gravel from the river, it would be less likely to flood and test if it improves conditions for salmon, Van De Wege said.
“The Satsop had a long history of dredging but, since the dredging stopped, the buildup of sediment has clogged the river’s main channel,” Van De Wege, chairman of the Senate Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Parks Committee, said. “As a result, flooding has become an increasing threat to area homes, farms and businesses.”
The amendment voted for by Van De Wege and others would allow for the three demonstration projects in the three rivers, must examine “setting back levees, providing fish habitat, removing excess sediment and gravel, protecting treed riparian zones, and providing stable river banks.”
The state departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Ecology, and Fish and Wildlife are instructed to jointly carry out the projects.
Rep. Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen) said his idea would be to create a second “braid” in the stream, diverting it to split and go to nearby ponds, which improves fish habitat by increasing the number of river miles.
Blake said he has heard from many farmers and community members in the 19th Legislative District about how the Satsop’s flooding and erosion has had major negative impacts in the past. He believes the proposed projects can benefit all areas, such as improving fish habitat, protecting farmland and private property, and protecting public infrastructure.
“If done right, I think there’s an opportunity for this to be a big win and something that would improve the habitat, create more stream miles by braiding the stream, and simultaneously protect farmlands, private property, and public infrastructure,” Blake said.
Van De Wege said it looks likely the bill will pass as amended with the floodplain projects.

MMMMM..… "Time tells all", enough said.

Mother nature is going to do what it wants to do. Hoh River and upper Quinault River are prime example of this, Ocean Shores, down by North jetty, is another example of a "on going battle" with Mother Nature...….Good old taxpayers shell out more $$$$$ on "maybe fixes"...

It is an in for those who wish to extract more.

Salmon need suitable spawning gravel.

Saw Whatcom on that list and had to check, and sure enough Van De Wege grew up here. Most likely grew up with a Van Boven/Honcoop of our local gravel empire.

This is about the changes at the mouth of the river as it headed West into the Willis property. The dredging is more about the Satsop blasting through the fields than gravel extraction. After being around that river for 55 years I can tell you it is going to do what it wants. The Gleason rip rap at the old hippy hole ended up taking out portions of Stormy's place and upstream from the old highway bridge is another newer change. They may change things for a bit but sooner or later the river will do what it wants. Not a question of if but rather when.

Hopefully it moves the channel and washes out WDFW headquarters.

Lol.. Wrong river bud.

Seems to me the Willis family (not the State's taxpayers) should pay for projects to protect the Willis property. You bought on a river that you knew was capable of severe flooding (heck, they bought at the confluence of TWO rivers that are subject to massive flooding). If the river threatens your property, why should I have to pay to protect it?

Agree.

I'm not unsympathetic. I'm just not motivated, either.

You know what that river does. If you don't like it, don't buy and build there. How simple.

It a neat two-edged sword, FF. Why should the state have to protect my property? But, why shouldn't I be able to protect my property (permits, etc)? We have some waterfront and I really don't mind having the financial responsibility to care for it and protect my investment. But the corollary is you better let me protect it, reasonably.

Before we get too deep into the "you shouldn't live/work/farm there" argument, which does make some sense you have to factor in such things as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions which are all examples of building in places where the risks are known.

let us not forget flash floods, ice storms, blizzards, tsunami, deep freeze temps, wind storms, wild fires. You see mother nature is not a very nice lady but rather a bit of a bitch.

She sure is. Then, she becomes beautiful and seductive.

Ya. WDFW HQ is on the River Styx.