Clallam County holds public hearing on draft channel migration zone report, continues decision to July 8

Clallam County commissioners on June 3 heard a staff presentation on a technical report that delineates channel migration zones (CMZs) for the Lower Elwha River, Indian Creek and Little River and voted to continue the public hearing to July 8 to allow Department of Ecology approvals and further public comment.

The county’s Department of Community Development presented the study, saying the work used “the best available science to map the location of the CMZ” and that local governments are required to identify and limit development within channel migration zones. The department said public participation included stakeholder meetings, mailers to “over 128 landowners” in the study area, and a public presentation to the planning commission on May 22.

The technical report covers changes in the Lower Elwha River since the removal of the two dams and includes hydraulic mapping and field investigations intended to inform shoreline management, life-safety hazards, freshwater and riparian habitat, public infrastructure, and private property planning. Department staff told the board the draft delineation and technical report are currently with the Department of Ecology and asked the board to keep the hearing open until July 8 so final approvals and any additional public comments can be addressed.

During public testimony several affected landowners objected to the report and to how the county and consultants handled outreach and documentation. Ed Bowen, identifying himself as an Elwha River landowner, testified: “I am opposed to this. Why are we funneling $32,239 more dollars into task 2 when I have clearly made it known … that it has failed miserably on task 3.” Bowen asked the county to exclude reaches where he asserted the county lacks jurisdiction and said appendices and model input/output files were not included in the public materials.

Another frequent commenter, John Worthington, criticized the process and referenced past regional decisions about rechanneling, saying, “I’m just a crackpot,” while urging the county to explain inconsistencies in river-management approaches across basins.

The board’s formal action was procedural: Commissioner [not specified] moved and seconded to continue the public hearing to July 8, and the motion passed unanimously. Staff said a resolution to adopt and use the new CMZ data for planning would be considered on July 8 after Ecology’s final approvals.

The public record for the CMZ project includes the technical report draft currently with Ecology; the county will accept additional comments through the continued hearing period and will return to the Board on July 8 for further consideration.