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Board briefed on integrated floodplain management white paper to prioritize capital projects by risk and consequence
Summary
Staff presented a draft white paper proposing a capital project prioritization paradigm centered on flood-risk reduction, urgency, legal responsibility and funding opportunities; the advisory committee will continue work through August and the board may adopt a prioritization policy in June.
The King County Flood Control District board received a briefing May 13 on a draft white paper that recommends a new capital project prioritization framework grounded in integrated floodplain management.
Michelle Clark told the board the draft combines existing district policy (including the district's multi-benefit motion and capital delivery motion) with a hierarchy of criteria from the 2006 flood plan: consequences of inaction, urgency or imminence of risk, legal responsibility and authority, and funding or partnership opportunities. Clark said the advisory committee has begun monthly meetings to apply and test the framework with service providers and expects to recommend components for the 2026 budget cycle.
The white paper emphasizes three core components: flood-risk reduction benefits, advancing multi-benefits (equity, habitat, resilient communities), and adherence to applicable laws and tribal treaty rights. Clark described the prioritization factors to include project readiness, ability to leverage external funding, multi-benefit alignment, cost-effectiveness and relation to existing capital investment and operations programs. The approach allows quantitative, qualitative, or hybrid scoring and relies on technical input from service providers (notably King County Water and Land Resources Division).
Clark said staff hope the board will consider adopting the capital prioritization policy as early as the June 10 meeting and implement the new policy beginning in January 2026, with phased application to the six-year capital improvement program.
She emphasized the white paper includes a glossary to standardize terms such as "urgency" and "flood-risk reduction" to improve consistency across partners and to aid transparent decision making.
