Welcome to Skagit County
March 17, 2004
LEGISLATURE APPROPRIATES $500,000 FOR SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD PROJECT
SKAGIT COUNTY – The Washington State Legislature appropriated $500,000 in the state’s supplemental transportation budget last week to assist Skagit County in completing engineering and permitting to implement a successful flood project on the Skagit River.
“This is great news for Skagit County. We appreciate the hard work of our state delegation to provide funding for a project that is so important for the protection of life and property,” said Commissioner Ted Anderson.
“This will help us leverage other funds to gain a full understanding of hydrology in the upper Skagit to accurately determine the flows that can be controlled in the Baker system before reaching the four-bridge corridor area at the railroad bridge,” said Commissioner Don Munks.
The funding will also assist
in the ongoing design for reconstruction of levees above and below Mount Vernon.
Skagit County’s plan to eliminate and minimize flood damage and loss of
life to includes:
· Negotiate additional storage and reservoir management operations in
the Baker and Skagit River systems.
· Increase conveyance and eliminate major flood impediments through the
four-bridge corridor between Burlington and Mount Vernon.
· Rehabilitation key sections of the levee system downstream of Mount
Vernon, providing flood protection and enhanced habitat for fish.
Establish an emergency overflow route
“We sincerely appreciate
the efforts of our area senators and representatives on the Senate and House
Transportation committees to assist with getting this funding in place, and
in particular Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen,” said Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt.
“Skagit County’s ability to move people and products has been vulnerable
to flooding for too long,” Haugen said. “It’s time we took charge
of our own destiny and confronted this problem head on. Fortunately Sen. Harriet
Spanel and I were able to have funding for this important project included in
the final budget.”
For further information,
contact: Dan Berentson, 360-419-3461