East King News

The King County Flood Control District (District) and the City of North Bend have entered into an Interlocal Agreement to begin design for the Ribary Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project.

The portion of Ribary Creek located between I-90 and Bendigo Boulevard South/State Route 202 frequently results in periods of inaccessibility to local businesses and road closures, with potential to damage property, as residents and businesses experienced during the most recent heavy rainfall in late February. Ribary Creek is one of several local water bodies that have potential to flood during fall and winter storm events. The Creek’s proximity to homes and local businesses makes this particular location a high priority for flood risk reduction work in North Bend.

King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks services the District, which works with cities in the region to reduce risks of flooding through funding and policy oversight via capital projects and programs. In collaboration with the District, King County Water and Land Resource Division staff, and guidance via the 2017 South Fork Snoqualmie River Capital Investment Strategy, the City plans to create a comprehensive flood risk reduction project for this portion of Ribary Creek, with the goal of reducing flood recurrence.

Tom Mohr, the City’s Deputy Public Works Director, commented, “Flood risk reduction in this area is a high priority for the City. This project, in combination with levee setbacks along the south fork of the Snoqualmie River, will reduce the likelihood of devastating economic loss for our residents and business’s during high water events, while also restoring some of the natural habitat along the waterways.”

The District identifies the following approaches as potential applications for the project:

• Culvert replacement to increase flow capacity;
• Gravel removal to increase flow capacity and reduce sedimentation further downstream;
• Creek realignment and widening to increase flow capacity.

Transportation and Public Works Committee Chair, Ross Loudenback commented that Council supports the Agreement, observing that “Flood risk reduction does not need to be reactionary.” He said, “We support working with the District to proactively decrease opportunities for damage in Special Flood Hazard Areas such as Ribary Creek.” 

To learn more about flood protection in North Bend, visit the City website, HERE. Design of the flood risk reduction project is expected to commence in April 2022.

Original source can be found here.