Army Corps flood fight teams working in Skagit River Basin, monitoring Nooksack levees

Published Feb. 1, 2020

Flood fighters from the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, continue working in the Town of Lyman to extend the length of a buried rock trench to reinforce the upstream channel bank along the Skagit River. Crews worked through the night and have excavated half of the trench and placed one third of the riprap. Emergency measures are expected to be completed by Sunday with cleanup Monday.

A flood team wrapped up support to Diking District 12 in the Skagit basin to place rock to protect infrastructure at Strawberry Point near Burlington. Crews worked through the night to stage riprap in a continuous line of rock behind a crack in the levee bench as a contingency measure. Material is intended to launch if an area showing signs of rotational failure does actually fail. Crews also laid down a thin layer of riprap to armor that area and prevent scour from high water and increased flows.

In Whatcom County the City of Ferndale requested technical assistance due to concerns with rising river stages. The Seattle District deployed a flood team to meet with the county and the city and evaluate problem areas in the basin. Snohomish County requested technical assistance in Goldbar, where the district deployed a flood team to evaluate the county's concerns and provide technical expertise for contingency planning.

Seattle District has delivered 50,000 sandbags, two pumps and 400 super sacks to assist local efforts in Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures. The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather.

The Seattle District Reservoir Control Center is in 24-hour operation to ensure real-time reservoir monitoring and regulation through Sunday.

At Howard Hanson Dam on the Green River inflows have risen above 9,000 cubic feet per second. Outflows are being maintained at approximately 5,000 cfs. At Mud Mountain Dam on the White River inflows have risen above 8,500 cfs and outflow is targeted to remain below 6,000 cfs. The reservoirs continue to have more than enough space to provide flood risk reduction for inflows from this storm.

In the Skagit River basin, the Corps has taken control of the Upper Baker and Ross dams. Upper Baker is releasing 1,000 cfs and Ross is releasing 430 cfs. At Wynoochee Dam in the Chehalis River basin inflows peaked above 8,000 cfs, and the Corps is currently in control and releasing 2,000 cfs.*

Private citizens seeking sandbags should contact their local government offices. 

The National Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings and should be consulted for that information.

*Current as of 1 p.m. February 1, 2020


Contact
Public Affairs Office
206-764-3750
paoteam@nws02.usace.army.mil

Release no. 20-006