August 2025 Update from the Office of Chehalis Basin

As summer winds down, we’re looking ahead to new opportunities for community involvement in the Chehalis Basin Strategy. Over the next two months, residents across the Basin will have several chances to learn more about long-term strategy options and share feedback directly with the Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) and partners.

This issue includes:

• Details about upcoming open houses on Sept. 25 in Chehalis and Oct. 8 in Montesano, and online
• A wrap-up of this summer’s outreach season across the Basin

Whether you joined us at a fair, plan to attend an open house, or are following along from home, your voice remains central to informing the future of the Chehalis River Basin.

Upcoming Open Houses: Learn more about the Long-Term Chehalis Basin Strategy

The Chehalis Basin Board is working toward a long-term strategy in 2026. This strategy will recommend actions to reduce flood damage and restore aquatic habitat, creating a safer, more resilient future for people and aquatic life.

The Board is evaluating a suite of long-term strategy options to reduce flood damage and restore aquatic habitat. These options combine new investments, such as levee systems, dam proposals, or habitat restoration - with scaled-up versions of existing programs like floodproofing, erosion management, and floodplain planning.

To learn more and share your input, join us at an upcoming informational open house:

• Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 – 7:30 p.m.
  Veterans Memorial Museum
  100 S.W. Veterans Way, Chehalis, WA 98532
• Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025 | 5 – 7:30 p.m.
  Montesano City Hall
  112 N. Main Street, Montesano, WA 98563
• Online Open House | Sept. 2025
  Visit anytime: https://openhouse.officeofchehalisbasin.com/

These sessions will provide updates on current projects and explain the long-term options under consideration. Technical experts will be present at these open houses and will be able to talk directly with community members and answer questions.

Summer Outreach Season Wraps Up

This summer, the Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) and our partners spent time across the Basin meeting residents, sharing information, and listening to community perspectives. From county fairs to local festivals, these events provided valuable opportunities for connection and dialogue.

Our summer outreach included:

• Chehalis Fest 2025
• Grays Harbor County Fair
• Southwest Washington Fair

At each event, we shared updates on flood risk reduction, aquatic species restoration, and ongoing strategy development. More importantly, we heard directly from you about priorities, concerns, and opportunities for the Basin’s future.

These conversations are essential for ensuring that the voices of residents, tribes, and local organizations are considered in future planning. OCB will keep talking, and listening, to the community as the Strategy moves forward.

Upcoming Events

Thurston County Stream Team

• 5th Ave Bridge Salmon Stewards 2025 (multiple dates through August and September)
  Interested in becoming a Salmon Steward volunteer? Register for and complete the online training sessions, attend a field training, and sign up to volunteer!
  
  For more information, visit Events - Stream Team.

In the News

• Office of Chehalis Basin looks to inform at Southwest Washington Fair as outreach efforts continue | The Daily Chronicle (August 18)
• Hoquiam, Aberdeen levee projects not dead yet (August 7)

Stay Connected on Social Media

The Department of Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin and independent Chehalis Basin Board work in concert to oversee and fund the long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy to reduce flood-related damage and restore aquatic life in the Chehalis River Basin for decades to come. Since 2017, more than 140 projects have been put in place in the Basin that are protecting nearly 300 acres of new habitat for salmon and other species and safeguarding over 200 homes and businesses from flooding.

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