Thurston County - News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2002

Contact:	John Tennis, Information Program Manager, 360-709-3073
	Keith Eisner, Information Specialist, Roads and Transportation Services, (360) 754-3355, ext. 7838

County Policy Group to Recommend Emergency Declaration for Deschutes Logjam

Olympia—Thurston County Emergency Management officials and other county managers agreed today to recommend that county commissioners issue an emergency declaration regarding the 1,200-foot long logjam on the Deschutes River near the Waldrick Road Bridge. The request for the declaration will be considered at the Board of County Commissioners’ next public meeting on Monday, January 7.

The declaration allows the county to react more quickly to the immediate threat of flood damage to public and private property, and opens the door to possible state emergency funds. Currently two riverfront homes are threatened by the logjam’s diversion of water during flood events. County engineers also predict that the logjam, if left unchanged, will eventually reach the Waldrick Road Bridge and could cause significant damage to the bridge approaches during a flood.

“We’re going to need outside expertise to conduct a thorough downstream and upstream analysis,” says Emergency Management Director Les Olson. Olson recommends a two-step response. The first step will be to contract a consultant with expertise in hydrology to analyze the situation and consequences of removal of any of the debris that has accumulated in the area. Depending on the consultant’s findings and recommendations, the second phase will be to apply the appropriate fix.

“The river is very complex,” says Natural Resources Specialist Mark Swartout, “and that means we need to take a system-wide look at the problem to develop a long-term plan.” Considerations include impacts on fish habitat, downstream effects of removing any of the logjam, right-of-way issues, cost, debris disposal, liability and the long-term viability of the stream flow says Swartout, who will lead the investigative team.

County officials are working with the state departments of Ecology, Natural Resources and Fisheries, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies to develop a response that will be consistent with state and federal regulations and standards.

“We’re committed to approaching this problem with all due speed and to base any future actions on the best available knowledge,” says Olson.