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Cowlitz County workshop pushes for coordinated action on Mount Saint Helens sediment, fish recovery and recreation
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Summary
County and regional stakeholders urged faster, coordinated action on sediment management, fish passage and tourism at a Mount Saint Helens workshop, debating benefits and risks of the Corps' proposed measures and new approaches such as beneficial use of dredge material.
Cowlitz County commissioners heard a multi-agency and public workshop on Mount Saint Helens that pushed for a coordinated plan to address sediment, flood risk, fish recovery and recreation in the Toutle and Cowlitz river systems.
County engineer Susan Eugenis summarized recent CORE (collaborative) talks and said agencies are seeking additional stream and sediment gauges and exploring potential funding to address bank erosion and levee needs. Eugenis said some gauges are in place but current data are insufficient for dredging decisions and that staff will follow up on installation schedules and funding details.
The discussion centered on balancing flood safety, ecological recovery and access. A technical presenter described “beneficial use” of dredge material — repurposing dredge spoils for bank stabilization, habitat creation and shallow-water improvements — and cited the Portland District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a precedent. He recommended a systemwide plan that includes Spirit Lake, the Toutle and the Cowlitz River to optimize multiple benefits rather than piecemeal fixes.
Several speakers raised concerns about the Corps’ sediment retention structure (SRS) work. Mark Smith, who operates EcoPark Resort and has decades of local experience, cautioned that a proposed 10-foot spillway raise could "cost about $36,000,000…we'll get a projected 3 to 5 years out of it, and we'll be right back in this room discussing it again," and urged alternatives that would restore natural processes while providing recreational and economic opportunities.
Representatives from the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife described current recovery work and constraints. Steve Manlow of the recovery board said fall Chinook minimum recovery goals call for 3,000 wild-origin adults but current annual returns in the lower Cowlitz are about 11,000, while Toutle returns for some stocks remain far below targets. Dave Howe of WDFW’s habitat program said the SRS currently blocks volitional passage and that the agency continues trap-and-haul operations while evaluating retrofit and reintroduction options.
Public commenters, including longtime Toutle Valley resident Andy Zahn and former county tourism director Mark Pluckin, urged expanding recreational access and early, funded planning for Mount Saint Helens' 50th-anniversary opportunities. Bill Fasching of the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments urged civic coordination to bring a unified message to state and federal decisionmakers.
Commissioners and agency staff repeatedly called for local input and a unified voice to press federal and state partners for solutions that balance safety, habitat and economic opportunity. The workshop closed with an invitation from local stakeholders to sign up for short-term action items and a pledge from staff to follow up on requested data and funding details.
