City, County, and FCZD on board with plans for emergent removal of sediment from the Touchet River

DAYTON—The Flood Control Zone District (FCZD) board of supervisors and the manager, Charles Eaton, are meeting before the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on the first Monday of the month.

City of Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford came before the FCZD administrators on Mar. 1 to let them know about the City’s desire to take over the permitting process from the county for sediment removal from the Touchet River.

Weatherford’s reasons were twofold; to expedite the process and complete a more thorough removal of the sediment from city boundary to city boundary.

The county is seeking two permits for a smaller project to make the river channel viable and have its capacity restored. The work will include scalping sediment, mainly in the county portion of the river, and major removal of sediment from under the Hwy. 12 and railroad bridges.

FCZD manager Charles Eaton said for both parties to work on permitting would be a waste of taxpayer money.

The County has spent ten to fifteen thousand dollars working with Anderson/Perry & Associates on the permitting process. Eaton said if the city were to take the project over, the FCZD would no longer be eligible for reimbursement from FEMA.

The permitting process is lengthy due to the need for a full biological assessment for endangered species, for bull trout. Eaton said it will be mid-summer before work in the river can begin.

Representatives from the USACE, FEMA, the City, the County, the Flood Control Zone District manager and County Commissioner Marty Hall, who represents the FCZD board of supervisors, met on Wednesday of last week, to hash it out. Identified as an eminent need is to open the river channel, which takes priority over all else.

Hall said he was encouraged by the meeting.

“It was the consensus of the city and county as well as representatives from the USACE and FEMA that we continue into the permitting process with the county and the FCZD as the lead. The hope is that a unified voice will be more effective, and all parties are optimistic that work will be able to commence before the anticipated high water, with spring melt off.”

FCZD Manager Charles Eaton said if the permits cannot be obtained for the more immediate work, the work will be continued in mid-summer.