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Thurston County to correct ditch-district list, move toward adopting flood-hazard mitigation plan
Summary
County planning staff told commissioners the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan meets FEMA scope; the board agreed to correct a ditch-district table and proceed toward adopting the updated plan at its next meeting.
Thurston County commissioners on Sept. 24 directed staff to correct the county's ditch-district table and move forward with adoption of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan (FHMP) after hearing a staff summary and follow-up to a recent public hearing.
The FHMP update documents county flood hazards, mitigation initiatives and updated maps and data intended to satisfy Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). A staff presentation said about 600 county property owners currently benefit from NFIP premium reductions and that failing to complete the plan could jeopardize those discounts.
Planning staff framed the document as a FEMA-compliance plan with a narrow scope: it does not add regulations or change development standards, and it does not supersede the county's drainage manual, stormwater rules or technical fish-passage projects. "This is really a FEMA FEMA compliance document, in its simplest terms," said Ashley, planning staff, describing the update. She said the update includes new outreach materials, newly installed stream gauges, updated demographic baselines and maps reflecting 2025 conditions.
Staff told the board much of the public comment received at the recent hearing raised issues that fall outside FEMA's required plan scope and are better addressed in other documents such as the county comprehensive plan, the stormwater manual, or the shoreline master program now under state review by the Washington State Department of Ecology. "Comments that we received are outside of FEMA's required scope," Ashley said, adding the plan as written meets FEMA's scope and its principal purpose is to maintain NFIP premium reductions for property owners.
During the discussion the board authorized a staff correction to the plan's table of ditch districts after staff said county GeoData had included incomplete information and the treasurer's office had provided corrected details. A board member asked, "Can we do a motion to update the table on ditch districts?" Commissioners signaled assent with a thumbs-up and no objection was voiced. Staff said that a thumbs-up would be sufficient to make the update and that the plan would be returned for adoption on the board's next department agenda on the 30th.
The FHMP also references coordination with independent entities such as Tacoma Power and local ditch districts; staff emphasized the county cannot compel independent utilities or special districts to change operations but can improve communication and coordination in mitigation planning. Staff also noted the county's new Shoreline Master Program remains under state review and could affect shoreline protections when Ecology completes its review.
Next steps: staff will correct and update the ditch-district table as directed, incorporate that change into remarks for the department agenda item, and present the updated FHMP for adoption at the board's department agenda on the 30th. FEMA's submission deadline referenced by staff is Oct. 15.
