Waitsburgers Want To Form Flood District

WAITSBURG -- A group of Waitsburg residents wants to resurrect the town's defunct flood control district, a prospect city officials say they welcome.

"We want to keep Waitsburg safe and beautiful," said Allison Bond, who spearheaded a recruiting effort that has yielded the required number of volunteers to serve on the district next year.

"There are a lot of people willing to put the time in," she said. "And they have great ideas."

Citing concerns about the stability of the levees along the local rivers, the ongoing risk of decertification by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, consequences for homeowners' flood insurance premiums, and the health of salmon habitat on the Touchet River, Bond said she began talking to fellow residents and soon found a number of others who wanted to become active in a district.

Waitsburg resident David Karl, businessman Stan Bly and former city councilman Leroy Cunningham have all agreed on serve on the district with Bond. Another individual, who prefers not to be mentioned, while the group explores the district formation process, has agreed to serve as the fifth person on the five-member body.

A separately elected commission, a flood control district has the authority to levy taxes for flood mitigation projects and it also has the ability to receive government grant money for such work.

"It's extremely helpful," Waitsburg City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said. "The city would welcome it."

Wai t sburg res ident s formed a flood control district after the 1964 flood, primarily to construct the levee on the Touchet River. The district was active for many years. But it was later disbanded because of a lack of resident volunteers.

Since the district became defunct, responsibility for mitigation work fell to the city itself by default.

Under various recent Waitsburg mayors, flood control work continued, but a resurrected district would allow for a more comprehensive and possibly betterfunded approach to flood control, Hinchliffe said.

"They're the right kind of entity to do it," he said. "It takes the burden off the city, but the city would still remain a partner."

The city and county are currently reviewing the legal process for forming a new flood control district, which may require having the voters approve a ballot measure in November's general election.

That doesn't bother Bond, who said she's in it for the long run and is ready to go through the exploratory process for the district's formation.

"We're in the discovery phase," she said.

Bond was initially inspired to explore the revival of a flood control district after discovering the ecosystem that surrounds the Touchet River as it flows through Waitsburg.

Before the city removed most of the vegetation this summer per a federal requirement, she and her husband, Bruce Donohue, enjoyed walking on and near the levee to watch wildlife.

Although Bond understands that the U.S. Corps of Engineers required the removal to avoid decertifying the levee, she said the move threatens the stability of its banks and the Touchet River's natural habitat.

With a flood control district, Waitsburgers can plan mitigation strategies that protect the town and the environment, bringing the community more in line with salmon restoration efforts further upstream in Dayton by drawing on state and federal grants opportunities.

"Nobody has a clear plan right now," she said.

Bond said she and the other district volunteers want to hear from other residents, landowners and farmers to learn from their experiences with the river and Coppei Creek.

After requesting a review of the legal requirement for the district's formation, the group is waiting to hear back from the city and county.

"We're hoping to find out soon what our next step should be," she said.