The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, began repairs along three levees near Orting, Washington, at a total cost of about $1.45 million.
One repair site is located near Leach Road on the Puyallup River where 310 feet of levee has been damaged. The other two sites are located on the Carbon River.
The Alward 1 levee will have repairs to 410 feet on three sections located approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet up river from the Foothills Trail Bridge on Pioneer Way East. The Bridge Street levee located near Orting will have 625 feet of levee repaired over two sections.
According to the Corps, repairs began on July 30, with all in-water work expected to be complete by August 31, the end of the “fish window” when construction crews can work in the water with the least amount of disruption to fish.
Damage to all three levees occurred in October 2017, when high flows occurred on the Puyallup, resulting in erosion of the levee slope and toe, including loss of riprap and embankment material.
Once repaired, the levees will be restored to their pre-flood of protection in order to protect lives and property from flooding in subsequent flood seasons. The Bridge Street and the Leach Road levees both provided a 30-year level of protection and the Alward 1 levee provided a 500-year LOP.