The King County Flood Control District will hold a community meeting in Carnation on April 18 to discuss results of a study about historical flooding patterns in the Snoqualmie River basin.
“Flood Control District Supervisor Kathy Lambert plans to attend. The consultant who conducted the study and Ed McCarthy, PhD, who provided an independent review, will also be at the public meeting,” said the King County in its announcement.
The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. in the Sno-Valley Senior Center, 4610 Stephens Ave.
A first phase was completed in the spring of 2016 and looked at flooding impacts from two large river projects near Snoqualmie Falls. The April 18 meeting is to share findings from the second phase of the investigation, which looks more broadly at flooding changes throughout the river basin, the county said.
The draft study, “Snoqualmie River Hydrologic Study: Evaluation of Trends and Current Conditions,” looks at historic trends in river flow, precipitation, forestry, sedimentation, and other factors that affect flooding impacts. A peer review of the study’s findings was completed by hydrologist Ed McCarthy, PE, PhD and Certified Floodplain Manager.
“The study’s findings show that the history of flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley has been very dynamic but that some trends can be found. There are clear signs of seasonal changes in flow and some evidence that flooding is happening more often,” according to the county’s announcement.
Conclusive evidence that floods are getting bigger or arriving faster could not be found, though the study does highlight that particularly dramatic flooding has occurred in recent years.
The report also includes recommendations to improve river gaging for flood warning in the valley.
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