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Council authorizes bidding for final Reeser Creek levee phase after decade‑long effort
Summary
Public Works described a multi‑year Reeser Creek flood mitigation project; the council authorized staff to bid the final levee phase after completing land acquisition, archaeological review and infrastructure work including a new fish‑passable bridge.
Public Works staff summarized the long history of the Reeser Creek project, which stretches back to the early 2010s and seeks to reduce flood risk for West Ellensburg. John Morrow reviewed prior work: construction of an earlier setback levee, grant applications to Floodplains by Design, purchase of roughly 56 acres with the assistance of Trust for Public Land, the construction of a fish‑passable flood‑conveyance bridge and environmental and cultural resource reviews required by state and federal agencies.
Morrow said the project involved complex coordination with agencies including Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers, Yakama Nation, Mid‑Columbia Conservation District and Trout Unlimited. He described past hurdles — archaeological shovel probes and adaptations to changing FEMA flood maps — and noted the county committed $1 million from a flood district toward the project.
Morrow said a change in downstream alignments tied to Whiskey Creek improvements required additional modeling, but staff now consider the package ready to bid. Council members praised staff work and asked about certification and how FEMA mapping affects project certification; staff replied certification can be pursued after construction and that the primary goal has been to remove the flooding threat to homes and businesses.
The council authorized staff to bid the Reeser Creek levee project’s final phase by motion and voice vote.
Why it matters: the authorized bid moves a decades‑long flood mitigation effort toward construction and may unlock floodplain outcomes that reduce repeated flooding risk for residences and support future land‑use and development options in the affected area.
