Nov. 7, 2006
Contact: Patricia Graesser 206-764-3760
SEATTLE -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency management teams are using rock and sandbags to shore up levees, slow water flow and protect roadways around western Washington. The Corps is also distributing sand bags and sand to local communities and operating dams to reduce flood damage in the Skagit, Puyallup, Green and Wynoochee valleys
The Corps has more than 40 flood engineers out at eight river basins, has distributed more than 150,000 sand bags and continues to supply materials and assistance to communities as requested.
The Skagit River basin flood team supplied ecology blocks to protect the Sedro-Woolley sewage treatment plant and is now working at Fir Island, Lyman and Cockreham placing rock to shore up levees.
The Corps is also assisting North Bend with sandbags and sand, delivering 11,000 last night and delivering another load of sand later this morning.
The Cedar River is being monitored, with no damage or flooding occurring at this time. The Briscoe levee on the Green River in Tukwila is a concern as it was damaged during last January’s floods. This levee protects a large industrial/commercial area. At this time, the damaged area is withstanding the river flows.
Two projects are underway on the Carbon River in and near Orting. The Corps is assisting the County in repairing a levee breach along Alward Road between Orting and South Prairie and is shoring up an eroding levee in Orting.
The Seattle District Reservoir Control Center and Emergency Operations Center began 24-hour operation Nov. 5 and will continue to operate around the clock for the foreseeable future.
Mud Mountain Dam on the White River (which feeds into the Puyallup) had inflows of 24,000 cubic feet per second at about 11 p.m. Outflows are at minimum, and more storage is available to hold inflows to minimum until the Puyallup River peaks later today.
Wynoochee Dam is receiving about 4,000 cfs of inflow. The Corps is holding outflows from Wynoochee Dam to 1,264 cfs. When inflows peaked, Wynoochee Dam held back about 13,000 cfs, reducing the river stage downstream by 3 to 5 feet.
Howard Hanson Dam on the Green River received peak inflows of 24,000 last night at 11 p.m., and is passing 7,200 cfs out of the dam. The Corps is working to keep flows at Auburn below 12,000 cfs.
In the Skagit River basin, the Corps is regulating Upper Baker and Ross dams, and passing minimum flows only. At Ross and Upper Baker, inflow peaked at 39,000 cfs and flows are being held to minimum outflows until the Skagit has peaked.
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