Chehalis Basin authority outlines pump-and-levee strategy, seeks funding for Farragut pump

Representatives from the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority briefed the Aberdeen City Council on a multi-year strategy of pumps and levees meant to reduce flooding in the lower basin and protect people, businesses and assessed property value.

Scott Betcher, staff to the flood authority, said the authority has worked in the basin since 2012 and described a portfolio of projects including pump stations and levee segments. He demonstrated a web-based GIS dashboard that classifies pumps as completed, under construction, in design or seeking funding and walked through project-specific protection metrics — for example, a pump on Queen Street shown as protecting 493 people and about $41 million in assessed value, while combined projects would protect thousands of people and hundreds of millions in assessed value as the program expands.

Betcher emphasized the practical economics of the approach, saying pumps and levees not only reduce flood damage but support economic continuity; he presented a cost–benefit example described in the briefing that attributed recurring tax revenue benefits to protected businesses and properties. He said the authority will request funding from the Chehalis Basin Board on Feb. 5 for the Farragut pump station and that, with funding, that pump could be online by late 2026.

The presentation also covered improvements to lower-basin river forecasting. Betcher said additional rain gauges, stream gauges and a tide gauge are being deployed so the National Weather Service can develop a lower-basin urban forecast that would provide more accurate warnings for communities from Porter downstream to Cosmopolis.

Council members thanked the presenters and asked follow-up questions; no council action on flood authority funding was taken at the meeting. The authority’s work was described as cumulative, with successive pump projects progressively protecting more parcels and businesses across the lower basin.

Next steps: the authority will seek funding for Farragut at an upcoming board meeting; the city can track project dashboards and coordinate on forecasting and siting for future pumps and levees.