New Management Program for Lewis County shorelines need public input

County residents have until March 16 to weigh in

With more than 1,100 miles of river shoreline, Lewis County's new Management Program will affect
residents throughout the county. 

If you appreciate shoreline ecology, you’ll like the waters of Lewis County. The county boasts more than 1,100 miles of shoreline, including the Nisqually, Chehalis, Deschutes and Cowlitz rivers, numerous tributaries and 34 lakes.

Restoration of the Upper Chehalis River is a priority under the new Lewis
County Shoreline Management Program.

That’s a lot of water front property.

Lewis County has proposed changes to how it manages the edges of those waterbodies and the Department of Ecology is asking the public to weigh in on those plans. Ecology will compare the county’s proposed program to the requirements of the Shoreline Management Act and the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines. Based on the comparison and the comments the plan receives, Ecology will decide whether to approve the program or ask for changes.

Lewis County’s first Shoreline Master Program was adopted in 1974 and last amended in 1998. The comprehensive update now under consideration prioritizes water-oriented uses and development, protects sensitive areas and includes a restoration plan for degraded and damaged shoreline.

The restoration plan is a 98-page document that identifies priority projects within 16 management areas. An example is Lewis County’s five Upper Chehalis Management Areas, which include hundreds of river miles along the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, Puget Lowlands, Western Foothills and Cascade Lowlands, along hundreds of river miles. Restoration priorities include improved fish passage, restoration of riparian vegetation, and reconnecting the main stem of the Chehalis River and its tributaries with their floodplains..

The public has until 5 p.m. March 16 to comment on Lewis County’s program.

Lewis County’s proposed Shoreline Master Program can be viewed online. Paper copies can be viewed at Ecology’s Southwest Regional Office, 300 Desmond Dr., Lacey, WA 98577, or at the Lewis County Community Development office, 2025 NE Kresky Ave., Chehalis, WA, 98532.

Comments should be addressed to Ecology’s Kim Van Zwalenburg. Here’s how to submit them:

Mail:      Southwest Regional Office
              PO Box 47775
              Olympia, WA 98504-7775
Email:    kim.vanzwalenburg@ecy.wa.gov
Phone:  360-407-6520

By Dave Bennett, Southwest Region communications

Eyes Over Puget Sound: Raging rivers make for dynamic waters

Click here to view the December report

The wild weather we've had over the past couple months has certainly kept us on our toes! The torrential rains sent water rushing over our landscape, down our rivers, through our storm drains and out into Puget Sound. Our ferry data and aerial photos reflect swirling brown waters as major rivers transport large amounts of suspended sediments and soil into the Sound.

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Our coastal and regional conditions are gradually getting back to normal in response to all the rain. Snow is building up in the mountains and even the Blob is fading. But with El Niño still brewing at the equator, big questions remain. Will the snow stay in the mountains or come down early like last winter? Will Cascade snowpack reach normal levels? Will we face another drought? We'll be anxiously watching Puget Sound this coming spring and summer to see how things shape up.

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In contrast to drought conditions in summer 2015, late autumn brought heavy rains and extremely high stream flows to the Puget Sound basin. This month we've included a spotlight on the Snoqualmie River. This summer, Snoqualmie Falls trickled at a measly 250 cubic feet of water per second. In this month's report, you'll see a video of it raging at 48,000 cubic feet per second!

Time for flight safety training!

It's always great to be prepared. Our flight team spent last month practicing safety protocols in case they are ever in a float plane crash. They practiced in the pool, finding themselves upside down and strapped into a floating cockpit. Crash simulators allowed them to prepare for an event we hope they will never have to face. "I love flying and always feel safe during flights," said Mya Keyzers after the training, "but when it comes to survival, preparedness is a must."

What's Eyes Over Puget Sound?

Eyes Over Puget Sound combines high-resolution photo observations with satellite images, ferry data from travel between Seattle and Victoria BC, and measurements from our moored instruments. We use a seaplane to travel between our monitoring stations because they are so far apart. Once a month, we take photos of Puget Sound water conditions and turn those out, along with data from our stations, in the monthly Eyes Over Puget Sound report.

Learn more and see other issues on our website.