Cowlitz County engineers report two active slides; geotech analyses and agenda items planned

Cowlitz County Engineer Susan Eugenis said the county is responding to two active landslides that are approaching infrastructure and private property, and that geotechnical analyses are underway.

Eugenis told the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners the first slide is at the very end of East Canyon View Drive. “Since these pictures were taken, that area has been tarped to help keep water off of it, and those pipes that are hanging out in the second picture redirect it down to the bottom of the slope so they're not wetting the slope any further,” she said. She added the slide is “getting close to that 1 home” and that the county’s geotechnical engineer has completed a preliminary drone assessment and will deliver a report with recommendations.

The second site is on Rose Valley Road at about milepost 14, where a late-Thursday slide prompted the county crew to clear the roadway the next day. Eugenis said the geotechnical consultant inspected the slope and expressed concern about large, overhanging boulders. “For reference, the gentleman that you see in the photograph is about 6 foot 3,” she said to illustrate the scale of the rocks. She said the consultant will provide a memo, likely next week, outlining options for stabilizing the slope and addressing the large boulders.

Eugenis said the bulk of the slide at East Canyon View is within the county right-of-way but is “creeping back towards the roadway,” and noted a private driveway near the upper slope. She told commissioners the county would act if the slide threatens dwellings or the roadway, but would otherwise let natural processes proceed.

Next steps include a geotechnical report and follow-up agenda paperwork. Eugenis said the East Canyon View project will appear next week as a county road project (CRP 4) item; staff will prepare a separate project entry for Rose Valley Road 14.5. She emphasized the roads involved have limited residency beyond the affected sections and there is currently no active logging observed in the immediate area.

Eugenis and county staff did not announce a construction schedule or cost estimate during the update; the geotechnical memo is expected to clarify scope, risk and potential repair approaches.

The commission did not take a formal vote during the report; staff will return with the geotechnical findings and recommended agenda items.