Ask the Angry Citizen

Before I begin this month’s editorial which is really nothing more then the interview form I was given by a consultant to Skagit County for the purpose of updating their Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan, I want to open with a few personal remarks. Recently I was appointed by the Skagit County Commissioners as an “at large” member of the recently formed Skagit County Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee. I am deeply honored to be appointed to this committee and look forward to serving the people of Skagit County in this capacity. As I have stated in a previous editorial (See Angry Citizen November 2006) I no longer live in the Skagit River floodplain and haven’t since 1983. I don’t own any property in the floodplain. I’m not a member of any development or environmental group. I don’t stand to make any money or lose any money by anything that happens on the Skagit River floodplain. I have never been paid for any of my 30-year involvement although I have been offered money for my work. My entire involvement has been motivated solely in search of the truth about the Skagit River floods and their history. I am a firm believer that all of us owe a commitment to give something back to our communities. Some people become little league baseball coaches; others work for civic organizations or food banks and help the less fortunate. Providing information to the public on what I consider to be the most important issue facing the residents of Skagit County is my way of providing public service. It’s what I do and I am proud of that service. Therefore, in that vein, I will serve the people of Skagit County by serving on the FCZD committee. What follows below is the interview questionnaire given to all members of the FCZD as well as many other members of the general public as well as my responses to those questions. Enjoy. Feel free to agree or disagree with any position I take, and as always I invite your thoughts and comments.

I have been involved with the Skagit River flood issue since the 1975 flood, in which the farm I purchased on April Fools Day of that year flooded with 4 feet of water on it. Since that time I have served on the Skagit River Flood Control Advisory Committee, the State Department of Ecology Floodplain Management Advisory Committee, the Washington State Legislative Joint Select Committee on Flood Damage Reduction, as an advisor to the Skagit River Impact Partnership, an attendee of Skagit FACT meetings and most recently appointed to the Skagit County Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee. I run a web page devoted to the history and current events of the Skagit River flood issue at www.skagitriverhistory.com.

c. Please describe your understanding of what this project is and intends to accomplish.

This project (the CFHMP) is to update the current and woefully inadequate Skagit County plan using the following criteria as required by RCW 86.26.105 and WAC 173-45:

(1) Determination of the need for flood control work.

     (a) Description of the watershed;

     (b) Identification of types of watershed flood problems;

     (c) Location and identification of specific problem areas;

     (d) Description of flood damage history;

     (e) Description of potential flood damages;

     (f) Short-term and long-term goals and objectives for the planning area;

     (g) Description of rules that apply within the watershed including, but not limited to, local shoreline management master programs, and zoning, subdivision, and flood hazard ordinances;

     (h) Determination that the instream flood control work is consistent with applicable policies and rules.

     (2) Alternative flood control work.

     (a) Description of potential measures of instream flood control work;

     (b) Description of alternatives to instream flood control work.

     (3) Identification and consideration of potential impacts of instream flood control work on the following instream uses and resources.

     (a) Fish resources;

     (b) Wildlife resources;

     (c) Scenic, aesthetic, and historic resources;

     (d) Navigation;

     (e) Water quality;

     (f) Hydrology;

     (g) Existing recreation;

     (h) Other impacts.

     (4) Area of coverage for the comprehensive plan shall include, as a minimum, the area of the one-hundred-year frequency flood plain within a reach of the watershed of sufficient length to ensure that a comprehensive evaluation can be made of the flood problems for a specific reach of the watershed. The plan may or may not include an entire watershed. Comprehensive plans shall also include flood hazard areas not subject to riverine flooding such as areas subject to coastal flooding, flash flooding, or flooding from inadequate drainage. Either the meander belt or floodway must be identified on aerial photographs or maps that will be included with the plan.

     (5) Conclusion and proposed solution(s). The CFCMP must be finalized by the following action from the appropriate local authority:

     (a) Evaluation of problems and needs;

     (b) Evaluation of alternative solutions;

     (c) Recommended corrective action with proposed impact resolution measures for resource losses; and

     (d) Corrective action priority.

     (6) A certification from the state department of community, trade, and economic development that the local emergency management organization is administering an acceptable comprehensive emergency operations plan.

d. Please let us know if there are any specific areas, information, education, data that you feel you need to be an effective participant in this effort.

Things that come to mind are copies of all land use permits that required landfill to see how they complied with SEPA, SMA, and the NFIP and what kind of hydraulic analysis was performed to ensure that the cumulative impact of the developments in the floodplain have not raised the floodwaters more then one foot at any given point in the floodplain. This would include all permits issued for commercial, residential, and to the dike districts.

e. Are there any specific studies, data, information that you know exists that should be made available to participants or used in developing this plan?

SKAGIT RIVER REPORTS/STUDIES/DOCUMENTS ON FLOODING AND FLOOD PROJECTS As Compiled by Larry J. Kunzler 1/24/99 in cooperation with the Corps of Engineers, Seattle District and as appended May 23, 2008
REPORT #	DATE	TITLE
1.	11/8/1890 PE 12/4/1890 HD	NOOKSACK, SKAGIT AND SNOHOMISH RIVERS, Preliminary Examination (PE) by Captain Symons, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #38, 51^st Congress, 2^nd Session}
2.	12/11/1897 S 1/8/1898 HD	SURVEY OF SKAGIT RIVER FROM ITS MOUTH TO SEDRO, WASH., Survey (S) by Capt. Harry Taylor, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #204, 55^th Congress,2^nd Session}
3.	11/5/10 PE 2/29/12 S 8/15/12 HD	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., FROM SEDRO WOOLLEY TO BAKER, PE by Capt. Authur Williams, Corps of Engineers, S by Major J.B. Cavanaugh, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #909, 62^nd Congress, 2^nd Session}
4.	12/6/12 PE 1/26/14 S 4/30/14 HD	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., PE by Major J. B. Cavanaugh, Corps of Engineers, S by same {published as House Document #935, 63^rd Congress, 2^nd Session}
5.	1915	PROFILE SURVEYS IN 1915 IN SKAGIT RIVER BASIN, U.S.G.S. Water Supply Paper 419, W.H. Herron, Acting Chief Geographer
6.	7/1/18	SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD REPORT, by James E. Stewart, Hydraulic Engineer, U.S.G.S., Tacoma, Washington [Retyped version here]
7.	8/12/18	APPENDIX TO SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD REPORT, by James E. Stewart, Hydraulic Engineer, U.S.G.S., Tacoma, Washington
8.	10/10/19 RE 1/12/20 HD	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., Reexamination (RE) of House Document #935 by Lt. Col. J.A. Woodruff, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #591, 66^th Congress, 2^nd Session}
9.	8/26/22	PROPOSED FLOOD CONTROL SKAGIT RIVER, by Robert Herzog, Great Northern Railway Company
10.	10/23	STAGE AND VOLUME OF PAST FLOODS IN SKAGIT VALLEY AND ADVISABLE PROTECTIVE MEASURES PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT FLOOD CONTROLLING WORKS, by James E. Stewart, Hydraulic Engineer, U.S.G.S., Tacoma, Washington
11.	1/31/25 PE 12/12/25 HD	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., PE by Col. W.J. Barden, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #125, 69^th Congress, 1^st Session}
12.	2/8/28 PE 5/19/28 HD	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., PE by Major Jno. S. Butler, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #311, 70^th Congress, 1^st Session}
13.	5/18/28	MEMORANDUM on COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY—CONFERENCE WITH MR. PARKER re potential dam sites in the Skagit Basin and river gages throughout the Northwest, author unknown
14.	1929	Selected pages of USGS 1929 Water Supply Paper
15.	3/17/32	SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD CONTROL RIVER ENLARGEMENT AND DIKES, by Charles B. Smith
16.	5/18/32	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., A GENERAL PLAN FOR THE PURPOSES OF NAVIGATION AND EFFICIENT DEVELOPMENT OF ITS WATER POWER, THE CONTROL OF FLOODS, AND THE NEEDS OF IRRIGATION, by Lt. Col. C.L. Sturtevant, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #187, 73^rd Congress, 2^nd Session}, NOTE: In this report the Corps did not recommend construction of Avon Bypass but Congress authorized that diversion project, including levees from Burlington to Sedro Woolley, in the 1936 Flood Control Act. The project was deauthorized in 1990.
17.	8/26/35	REPORT AND FINDINGS SKAGIT FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT BOUNDARY COMMISSION, Commission Minutes
18.	3/29/37 PE	SKAGIT RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, WASHINGTRON, PE by Lt. Col. H.J. Wild, Corps of Engineers
19.	7/30/40 S	SKAGIT RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, WASHINGTON, S by Col. B.C. Dunn, Corps of Engineers
20.	12/1/40	FLOOD CONTROL ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION STUDY, AVON BY-PASS AND EXTENSION OF DIKES TO SEDRO WOOLLEY, APPRAISAL OF DAMAGES 1815 H.W. AND 1921 H.W., SKAGIT RIVER WEST OF AND INCLUDING SEDRO WOOLLEY AND SAMISH RIVER DELTA, Note: Contains elevation maps of Burlington & Clear Lake
21.	6/15/42	APPENDIX B, to report on Survey for Flood Control of SKAGIT RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, WASHINGTON, re W.P.A. FLOOD CONTROL WORK, dated 7/30/40, Corps of Engineers
22.	1/6/50	REPORT ON SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD, 27-29 NOVEMBER 1949, by Col. Z.C. Itschener, Corps of Engineers
23.	2/1/50	REPORT ON DERIVATION OF STANDARD PROJECT FLOOD for SKAGIT RIVER NEAR SEDRO WOOLLEY, WASHINGTON, Corps of Engineers
24.	7/1/50	FLOOD CONTROL ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION STUDY SKAGIT RIVER, Corps of Engineers
25.	2/21/52 S	SKAGIT RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, WASHINGTON, S by Col. John Buehler, Corps of Engineers {not published, transmitted to Congress 11/28/56}
26.	2/21/52	APPENDIX to SKAGIT RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, WASHINGTON, S (Appendix to #24), Corps of Engineers
27.	1/1/61	FLOODS IN THE SKAGIT RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1527, James E. Stewart and G. Lawrence Bodhaine
28.	2/8/61	PLAN OF SURVEY, SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD CONTROL STUDY, Corps of Engineers
29.	2/8/61	REPORT ON SKAGIT RIVER FLOOD CONTROL – HEARING WITH THE CORPS OF ARMY ENGINEERS, Skagit County Dike District 12, NOTE: Includes several comment letters submitted at public hearing.
30.	1/18/63 PR	SKAGIT RIVER, WASHINGTON (NAVIGATION), Preliminary Report (PR) on dredging barge channel to Concrete, by Col. Ernst Perry, Corps of Engineers
31.	11/22/63	INFORMATION BULLETIN FOR PUBLIC HEARING, SKAGIT RIVER, WASHINGTON, PLANS FOR FLOOD CONTROL AND RECREATION IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING FISHERIES AS ADDED PURPOSES FOR AVON BYPASS, Corps of Engineers
32.	11/63 RR 9/25/64 SUP	AVON BYPASS, SKAGIT RIVER, WASHINGTON, REACTIVATION REPORT (RR), with SUPPLEMENT (SUP) TO NPS REACTIVATION REPORT OF NOVEMBER 1963, Corps of Engineers
33.	5/20/64	INTERIM REPORT OF BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service {Appendix D in #31}
34.	3/1/65	SKAGIT RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON, FLOOD CONTROL AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS by Colonel C.C. Holbrook, Corps of Engineers
35.	3/1/66	SUPPLEMENT TO REVIEW REPORT ON FLOOD CONTROL AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ON SKAGIT RIVER, WASHINGTON, Corps of Engineers
36.	7/1/66	FLOOD PLAIN INFORMATION STUDY, SKAGIT RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON, SUMMARY REPORT, Corps of Engineers
37.	8/30/66	AVON BYPASS, SKAGIT RIVER, WASHINGTON, DESIGN MEMORANDUM NO. 1, SITE SELECTION, Corps of Engineers
38.	3/1/65 IRR 8/30/66 HD	SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., Interim Review Report (IRR)by Colonel C.C. Holbrook, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #483, 89^th Congress, 2^nd Session} In the 1966 Flood Control Act, Congress authorized the projects recommended in this report: levee & channel improvements from Burlington to the mouths and addition of recreation (resident trout fishery) as a project purpose to the Avon Bypass project. These projects were deauthorized in 1995.
39.	4/1/66 (2/10/66)	FLOOD PLAIN INFORMATION STUDY, SKAGIT RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON, TECHNICAL REPORT, Corps of Engineers
40.	1967??	WATERSHED INVESTIGATION REPORTS ON GAGES SLOUGH, Soil Conservation Service, Forest Service & USDA, {prepared to support Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters Comprehensive Study}
41.	6/1/71	COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF WATER AND RELATED LAND RESOURCES, PUGET SOUND AND ADJACENT WATERS, STATE OF WASHINGTON, Summary Report and 15 Appendices bound separately, by Puget Sound Task Force of the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission, NOTE: This report recommended: 100,000 ac. Ft. of flood control storage @ Upper Baker and 134,000 ac. Ft. @ Lower Sauk, Avon Bypass @ 60,000 cfs. with the 1966 levee & channel improvements project @ 120,000 cfs., a Nookachamps Creek levee, 100-year levees for Sedro Woolley and Hamilton, and flood plain management & warning measures. If the Skagit system were to be included in the Wild and Scenic Rivers system, the Lower Sauk dam would be deleted from this plan and Avon Bypass increased to 100,000 cfs. Report was sent to Congress in 1974.
42.	3/1/75	PUBLIC BROCHURE, ALTERNATIVES AND THEIR PROS AND CONS, ADDITIONAL FLOOD CONTROL AT UPPER BAKER, Draft #4 by Frank Urabeck, Corps of Engineers
43.	6/10/75 AR 5/9/77 HD	UPPER BAKER PROJECT, SKAGIT RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON, Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters Authorization Report (AR) including Final Environmental Impact Statement, by Colonel Raymond J. Eineigl, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #149, 95^th Congress, 1^st Session}, NOTE: This report recommended 74,000 ac. ft. (58,000 new) of flood control storage in Upper Baker Dam with compensation to the dam owner for lost power revenues from the Federal system. Project was authorized by Congress in 1977 and the flood control storage was first available during the 1977-1978 flood season.

May 2008	Editorial: INTERVIEW FOR THE SKAGIT CFHMP
April 2008	Editorial: The Skagit FACT Nine Scenarios
March 2008	E-mail discussion re: Plan B
December 2007	2007 – A YEAR END REVIEW
November 2007	Q&A With Ted Cook
October 2007	Black October
August 2007	DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE?
May 2007	HERE WE GO AGAIN!
April 2007	COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS
March 2007	SKAGIT COUNTY – CASH COW OR LET’S DO IT OURSELVES?
February 2007	THE THREE FORKS IN THE ROAD: Have we reached a lose lose situation or is there another alternative?
January 2007	Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad: The Worst Corporate Neighbor In Skagit County History
December 2006	2006 – A YEAR END REVIEW
November 2006	FEMA REGION : The Judas of the Pacific Northwest
October 2006	Response to Last Month’s Editorial
September 2006	The Realities of Flood Control in Skagit County
May 2006	A current Corps of Engineer employee writes the Angry Citizen
April 2006	Ted Cook writes the Angry Citizen