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December Flooding Spurs Request for FEMA Assistance

Submitted by Larry Johnson - State Conservation Engineer

Many areas on the west side of the state experienced significant flooding the first week of December, 2007.  There was flooding and debris damage from the Olympics all the way to Clark County with Lewis County being one of the hardest hit.  The flood damages within Lewis County were extensive, sediment and debris accumulation was observed on farmland throughout the county.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared most of the west area counties as eligible for Federal disaster relief funds.  A Joint Field Office (JFO) was established by FEMA in order to work with the State Emergency Management Division and other State and Federal agencies to coordinate the funding of recovery activities.  FEMA funds can be utilized for public facility recovery efforts and not on private lands.  The local community and state agencies are looking to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for funding recovery efforts on private land.

The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) and Emergency Conservation Protection (ECP) programs are an excellent fit for the observed flood damages; however, there are very limited funding opportunities for either of these programs.  EWP currently has a wait list of $215 million and ECP has a significant wait list as well. Unfortunately, not much can be accomplished with recovery efforts in lieu of program funding.

NRCS does have limited funding available to address immediate threat situations. EWP funds have been spent on two such projects; one in Mason County and one in Pacific County.  In Mason County, the Swift Creek dike breach was repaired and in Pacific County a log jam was removed from the Upper Willapa River.  The two projects removed an immediate threat to existing life, homes and property.  The repair cost for these projects was near $250,000.  Additional site visits have been conducted for EWP eligibility determinations.  An additional eligible site has been identified in Kitsap County which will consist of stream bank protection measures if the project is funded.  Stream bank protection measures for the Chico Creek site are estimated at $350,000.  Kitsap County has agreed to sponsor the repair effort.  It is expected that the project will soon have all permits, construction easements and their 25 percent matching funds to provide protection for the remaining homes that are directly threatened by the eroding stream bank.

For questions related to the EWP program, contact Larry Johnson, EWP Program Manager, at (509) 323-2955 or larry.a.johnson@wa.usda.gov.

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