Month: January 2016

Author Jordan JobePosted on January 31, 2016May 4, 2016Categories News

The Farming in the Floodplain project is just getting started! We have met with a number of local farmers, toured their properties, and are getting a better understanding of how changes in Clear Creek will affect them. We are hiring Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a well-respected consulting firm, as our contractors for technical work, and they are lining up a team of technical and agricultural experts to analyze available information about agriculture, climate change, hydrology, and the Puyallup watershed.

Sarah Wilcox is our Landowner Engagement consultant. Sarah is a 4th generation Pierce County resident with family ties to local farming, and has 10 years of experience working on agricultural support projects. She will be leading our efforts to engage with agricultural landowners in Clear Creek, and will be making sure that they are as involved as possible in this project.

Author Jordan JobePosted on January 30, 2016May 4, 2016Categories News

What is Surface Water Management’s proposed Clear Creek levee project?
The Farming in the Floodplain Project is about more than SWM’s proposed levee- but we know the project is a central focus to many who are involved.

Clear Creek is the area of highest repetitive loss due to flooding in Pierce County. Surface Water Management, a Pierce County agency, has proposed a potential project to relieve flooding issues on land near the Puyallup River and Clear Creek while maximizing the amount of agricultural land in the area and improving habitat for wildlife. The county is interested in buying properties from willing sellers in low-lying areas near Clear Creek.

The county has proposed to build a ring levee, starting near the point where Clear Creek drains into the Puyallup River. The purpose of the ring levee would be to protect lands from floodwaters out of the Puyallup River as it backs up into Clear Creek. SWM needs to determine the best location for the levee, and would like to carefully consider how its placement will affect agricultural lands before deciding on a plan. If the ring levee is built, the two flood gates that close the creek channel from the river during flood events will be removed. Removing the gates would allow floodwaters to interact more naturally with Clear Creek, while minimizing the impact to residents.