Chehalis River Flood Damage Reduction Plan

The community of the Chehalis River Basin in southern Washington had suffered through repeated catastrophic flooding—and many less severe but still disruptive floods—that caused billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses. Climate change would make the situation even worse.

So the community came to an agreement on an innovative and regenerative flood damage reduction strategy. The collaborative effort brought everyone to the table: representatives of State and local governments, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, the Quinault Nation, agricultural landowners, businesses, environmental groups, and local residents.

The LAND (Local Actions Non-Dam)Alternative is the culmination of intensive technical analysis, policy studies, community workshops, online surveys, and other engagement activities to solicit broad and diverse input across a wide range of issues—environmental, ecological, economic, and cultural.

The diverse community first agreed on shared values about people and the environment, during monthly meetings and extensive public engagement. With that consensus, the LAND Alternative laid out a plan for equitable flood damage reduction, taking into account upstream and downstream impacts resulting from structural interventions, and incorporating regulatory, infrastructure, resiliency and policy actions as an alternative to a previously proposed flood retention dam on the upper Chehalis River. It includes a combination of new and extended levees; Chehalis River channel modifications; acquisition, retrofitting and relocation of structures; as well as restoration efforts and policy changes that together will reduce flood damage.

An online LAND briefing book (ChehalisBasinLand.com) offers an easy-to-navigate overview, with reference maps and relevant data. The non-dam elements work together to reduce flood damage, while encompassing the shared values the community agreed on.

Winner of an Oregon ASLA Green Ribbon Honor Award (supporting ALSA’s Climate Action Plan) and an Honor Award in Analysis and Planning/Research.