Contacts: Nola Leyde, Corps of Engineers (206) 764-6896

               Doug Williams, King County (206) 296-8304

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and King County will conduct repair work this week on a Raging River levee in the vicinity of Fall City, Wash., damaged in the November 2006 flood event. Contractors will begin mobilizing equipment to the area over the weekend.

The Raging River Bridge-to-Mouth levee project is located on the right bank of the Raging River at the confluence of the Snoqualmie River, adjacent to Twin Rivers Golf Course. The levee project protects residential and recreational land. Construction activities will consist of replacing a 100 foot section of levee when it was overtopped and subsequently breached in November 2006. The levee will be setback from its original location in order to reduce potential impacts to a key salmon spawning area located nearby and to preserve the presence of existing riparian vegetation.

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. Local funding for this project was provided by the King County Flood Control Zone District.

The Raging River Bridge-to-Mouth levee is one of more than 50 levees damaged in the region during the 2006 flood event throughout the region. Levee repairs began last year in five western Washington counties including King, Pierce, Whatcom, Snohomish and Skagit. Repairs in these areas will continue through this year and into 2009.

The public also needs to be aware, for their safety, that there will be increased truck traffic along Preston-Fall City Road from I-90 to Fall City through July 18.