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As the autumn season slows us down, the Office of Chehalis Basin is ramping up community engagement on the Chehalis Basin Strategy. In September, Office of Chehalis Basin and partners hosted the first of two in-person open houses and launched an online open house for those who cannot attend the in-person events.
This issue includes:
- A recap of the first open house in Chehalis, details about the upcoming open house on October 8 in Montesano, and information on the online open house
- An update from our Community Flood Assistance and Resilience program
- Meet our new Community Flood Assistance and Resilience lead, Mitch Paine
- Aquatic restoration project highlight: The Schafer Creek River Mile 8-9 Project
As we head into the rainy season, we’d like to remind Chehalis Basin residents to sign up for flood alerts through the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority.
On September 25, Office of Chehalis Basin and partners welcomed basin residents to the Veterans Memorial Museum to learn about progress to date made by Office of Chehalis Basin-funded programs and projects, existing resources available to residents, and the options the Board is considering for the long-term Chehalis Basin Strategy recommendations expected in 2026. These options include the proposed Chehalis River flow-through dam for flood control, the proposed system of levees and floodwalls (also known as the Local Actions Non-Dam Alternative, or LAND), the Skookumchuck Dam, and different funding levels for basin-wide aquatic restoration. Participants also submitted comments for the Board to consider as it weighs the long-term options. We had some great conversations with a wide array of participants. Thanks to all that attended!
If you were unable to make it to the September 25 event, there is still opportunity to learn more and provide feedback:
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Montesano Open House | Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Montesano City Hall 112 N. Main Street, Montesano, WA 98563
This event has a flexible format, with table stations providing information on different topics. Come and go as you please, and explore our information stations staffed by technical experts available to answer questions and speak directly with community members.
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Online Open House | Available through October 31
Walk through the information and share your feedback at any time, from anywhere, at your own pace. Available in multiple languages.
The program has been hard at work selecting the biennium’s priority properties for protection from floods. With so many eligible homes, the program applied a set of questions to help determine where to focus efforts first, including:
- How deep is the flood water?
- How often is the property flooded?
- How hard is it to recover?
- What else increases risk?
Using these questions and other criteria, the Community Flood Assistance and Resilience program will select the highest risk properties from Boistfort to Hoquiam to raise. The program has already elevated or is in the progress of elevating eight homes in the basin, with an expectation to raise 10-12 in the 2025 – 2027 biennium. With so many homes at risk in the basin, Office of Chehalis Basin is working to create a sustainable, scaled-up program to meet the needs of the region.
 Thinking about protecting your home from flood risk?
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In July, Office of Chehalis Basin welcomed Mitch Paine to our team. He worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, D.C. as well as Seattle where his focus was on the National Flood Insurance Program. Prior to that, he was the state floodplain manager in Nebraska where he worked with hundreds of communities to implement floodplain regulations.
Mitch is the new lead for our Community Flood Assistance and Resilience program, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him join us to continue building a robust program for our basin. Have a question or want to connect? Email him at mitch.paine@ecy.wa.gov.
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The recently completed Schafer Creek River Mile 8-9 project was a collaboration between the Grays Harbor Conservation District and Trout Unlimited to install hand-built post-assisted log structures along a one-mile reach of Schafer Creek, a tributary of the Wynoochee River in Grays Harbor County. Post-assisted log structures are created by pounding wooden posts into the stream channel which are then surrounded by additional wood pieces to mimic a small, natural log jam. Since these structures can be installed by hand, they are a cost-effective technique used to restore a creek’s natural processes. They capture sediment, improve water quality, reconnect the floodplain to store water and stabilize downstream flows, and create rearing habitat for salmon and other aquatic species. Alongside benefits to the stream, as with most in-stream restoration work, this project created local jobs. It will provide an additional restoration site for Grays Harbor Conservation District and Trout Unlimited staff to share with other interested landowners to see what projects are possible on their property.
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Onalaska Apple Harvest Festival | Friday – Sunday, Oct. 3 – 5
Carlisle Ave, Onalaska, WA 98570
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Montesano Open House | Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Montesano City Hall
112 N. Main Street, Montesano, WA 98563
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ASRP October 2025 Regional Implementation Team Workshop | October 16, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m
Chehalis Tribal Community Center
461 Secena Road, Oakville, WA 98568
Recent news coverage and information relevant to the Office of Chehalis Basin, Chehalis Basin Board, and the Chehalis Basin Strategy, including ongoing work and processes:
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