RESTORATION OR INFRASTRUCTURE: CAN WE DO BOTH?

Helmut Schmidt Pierce County Surface Water Management

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Ford Setback Levee - Upper Puyallup Project Goal: To increase channel capacity and reconnect the river to the floodplain

July 1990 - Before May 2013 - After March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Ford Setback Levee - Upper Puyallup

• Constructed in 1998 • Total of 2 miles of Setback Levee Constructed • Reconnected 122 Acres of Floodplain • Red Lines were the original levee location/alignment prior to setback levee construction

Flood Event in Fall of 2006 • Straightened Main Channel was about 1.75 miles at 250 feet wide • Sinuous Main Channel now almost 2 miles at an average of 1,000 feet wide

November 2011 March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Soldier's Home Setback Levee - Puyallup Project Goal: To increase channel capacity and reconnect the river to the floodplain

August 2006 - Before May 2013 - After March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Soldier's Home Setback Levee - Puyallup

Site Control Plan March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Soldier's Home Setback Levee - Puyallup

• Constructed in Summer of 2006 • Total of 1 mile of Setback Levee Constructed • Reconnected 67 Acres of Floodplain

Flood Event in Fall of 2006

Flood Event in Fall of 2006 March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Soldier's Home Setback Levee - Puyallup

November 2008 – Looking Downstream

February 2013 – Looking Upstream February 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Soldier's Home Setback Levee - Puyallup

Large Forested Side Channels in the Upper Puyallup River

One side channel is approximately 20 feet wide by a 1/2 mile long and another side channel is approximately 12 feet wide by a 1/4 mile long

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Orville Road ELJ Setback Revetment Project Goal: To protect a lifeline arterial while providing riverine habitat

June 2002 May 2013 March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Orville Road ELJ Setback Revetment

Setback Revetment of Engineered Log Jams with Dolo Timbers March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Orville Road ELJ Setback Revetment

Can You Find the Dolo?

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Orville Road ELJ Setback Revetment

ELJ Setback Revetment

Groundwater Channel March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Orville Road ELJ Setback Revetment

• Constructed in Fall of 2013 • Total of 23 ELJs installed • Project was to protect Orville Road from river migration, minimize impacts with less invasive construction techniques, and improve aquatic habitat.

Looking Upstream

Looking Downstream March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Lower Puyallup Silt Bench

Looking Upstream

Looking Downstream March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Neadham Road Setback Levee Project Goal: To resist channel migration and provide for future habitat

Opposite Bank of Orville Road ELJ Setback Revetment

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Neadham Road Setback Levee • Phase 1 Constructed Spring of 2010 – Total of 3 ELJs installed and 550 LF of levee setback • Phase 2 Constructed Spring of 2012 – Total of 2 ELJs installed and Extended Setback Levee by about 475 LF

ELJ Construction

ELJ Construction March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Neadham Road Setback Levee

ELJ Fan Logs

ELJ Racking March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Neadham Road Setback Levee

Finished ELJs

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Remnant Levee Destabilization Project Goal: Working with the river system to remove abandoned infrastructure

Plan Sheet March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Remnant Levee Destabilization

• Destabilize the remnant levee to let nature and the river run its course • Better for threatened fish species to remove remnant than to harden the bank

September 2012

January 2014 March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Remnant Levee Destabilization

Log jam for mitigation just constructed

Engaged log jam March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Puyallup River Floodplain Restoration Project Goal: To increase flood storage and restore floodplain connectivity

June 2002 May 2013 March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Puyallup River Floodplain Restoration

• Constructed in Summer of 2012 • Constructed two high flow channels • Reconnected over 15 acres of floodplain • 3,200 LF of channels in a dendritic pattern • Removed over 500 LF of existing revetment • Phase 1 of a larger project

Aerial After Construction

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Puyallup River Floodplain Restoration

Plan Sheet March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council South Fork Road Floodplain Restoration Project Goal: To create side channel habitat and increase flood storage

May 2013 Phase 1 Constructed 2013 March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council South Fork Road Floodplain Restoration

Flood Event in Fall of 2006

Phase 1 Constructed Summer of 2013

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council South Fork Road Floodplain Restoration

• Constructed in Summer of 2013 • Total of 1,300 LF of new side channel constructed to provide year round salmon habitat • Phase 1 of a larger project

Looking Downstream Looking Upstream February 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council South Fork Road Floodplain Restoration

Proposed Phase 2 – An Additional 2,100 LF of Side Channel

February 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Alward Road Setback Levee

Future Setback Levee Project on the Carbon River February 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council Clear Creek Backwater Flooding

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

14 foot Contour line 208 Acres

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

18 foot Contour Line 591 Acres

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

Clear Creek Floodplain Reconnection

• Significant property owners • Port of Tacoma – 55.4 acres • Puyallup Tribe – 5.51 acres • City of Tacoma – 9.8 acres • Pierce County – 24 acres • WSDOT – 10.5 acres • Total Acres – 105.21

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North Levee Road Setback Levee

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North levee Road Set back

• Location – Puyallup River – right bank from I-5 to Meridian (RM 2.4-8.1) along North Levee Road . • Problem Statement – Right bank levee is narrow, steep sided, has sand boils, decertified by FEMA and provides less than 100 year protection. • What is at Risk? – Potential loss of life if levee breaches – Flood damage to adjacent residential structures/properties. – North Levee Road and BNSF railroad should the levee fail during a flood. – Flood damage to commercial areas in Tacoma and Fife

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North levee Road Set back Section 1 – RM 2.4 to Frank Albert Rd

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North levee Road Set back

Section 2 – Frank Albert Rd to RM 7.1

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North levee Road Set back

Section 1 – RM 2.4 to Frank Albert Rd

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North levee Road Set back

Section 3 – RM 7.1 to Meridian Road

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

North levee Road Set back

Project Benefits Eliminates threat to safety of residents Reduces potential for damage to infrastructure and commercial areas. Increases flood channel conveyance – lowers river levels. Provides increased salmon habitat Provides increased wetland restoration Estimated Cost (*preliminary – does not include mitigation, contingency and all acquisition costs) Total Construction Cost : $45 million to $66 million Acquisition Cost: below Frank Albert Road - $6.4 million Acquisition Cost: Freeman Slough - $ 1.7 million

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

Projects on the Puyallup River

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council

QUESTIONS?

March 2014 Puyallup Watershed Council