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West Plains groundwater, PFAS and flood-risk mapping flagged as priorities in Spokane County EIS scoping meeting
Summary
Residents and staff raised groundwater contamination, PFAS and non-FEMA flood risks on the West Plains. County staff and consultants said a more rigorous geotechnical and hydraulic study, plus best-available-science analyses, will inform mapping and eligibility of areas for UGA consideration.
During the scoping webinar, multiple participants raised concerns about groundwater contamination, PFAS distribution and flooding risks on the West Plains. County staff and the consulting team said those issues are priorities for further technical work and will be addressed in the EIS and the accompanying best-available-science and gap analyses.
Speakers acknowledged that existing FEMA maps cover some floodplain areas but do not fully reflect the locally mapped high-risk drainage zones the county has seen in consultant reports. County presenters said the West Plains currently lacks a consistent, digitized shapefile for all high-risk drainage areas and that a focused geotechnical and hydraulic study is needed to better understand groundwater constraints, stormwater and contaminant distribution.
County representatives said they will coordinate with public works, the state and federal agencies, and reference existing consultant reports while conducting a more rigorous geotechnical review for planning purposes. That work will be used to inform whether particular areas are eligible for UGA consideration and to identify constraints on development. The presenters noted that FEMA often focuses on above-grade flood openings for insurance eligibility and that some groundwater or high-water-table damage pathways are not fully addressed by FEMA rules.
On habitat and corridors, staff said they are compiling wildlife layers from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and other sources (e.g., TerraData) and will include migration and habitat connectivity in their best-available-science and gap analyses. Presenters also noted that agricultural lands can play corridor roles for some species and that open-space and habitat considerations will be part of the broader planning discussion.
What remains unresolved: presenters said they are still assembling shapefiles and technical layers and will post results as they are finalized; attendees were told the EIS scoping will feed more detailed technical work, and that additional data and agency review will be ongoing as alternatives are developed.
Practical next steps: county staff said they will pursue digitizing consultant reports, seek additional data layers from agencies and complete targeted geotechnical/hydraulic analyses on the West Plains to guide decisions about land eligibility and mitigation needs for any future growth.
