Recent quotes on Central Washington flooding from "The Seattle Times"Andy McMillan, long-time wetlands manager for the state Department of Ecology: “It’s kind of sad, we keep repeating the same mistakes even when we know better.”
David Montgomery, UW scientist and author of the salmon book and more recently, Dirt: “The more stuff you put in a floodplain, the higher the water will rise.”
This photo shows Bear Creek flooding only 20 feet from SR 520 highway. The new road widening will pave over all the land and floodwaters you see in the picture.
SR 520 is planned for widening by WSDOT to within 50 -60 feet of Bear Creek where Listed Chinook salmon live and rear their offspring. This picture was taken by Steve Hitch, Stormwater Public Works engineer for the City of Redmond. His comments to the Citizen Advisory Committee on flood hazard management plans are, as follows:
SR 520 is planned for widening by WSDOT to within 50 -60 feet of Bear Creek where Listed Chinook salmon live and rear their offspring. This picture was taken by Steve Hitch, Stormwater Public Works engineer for the City of Redmond. His comments to the Citizen Advisory Committee on flood hazard management plans are, as follows:
The WSDOT SR 520 project map website is HERE: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520/WLakeSamPk_SR202/Map.htm.
The information on the graphic posted on the WSDOT website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/10092E37-16F0-4A50-8BE9-C4B9016552B1/0/
"520 Section map shows that the widening will be exactly where this picture was taken, and will extend 64 feet towards Bear Creek. (All the widening is towards Bear Creek, none of it is toward Marymoor Park.) That means that in the future, there will be cars driving on a road where the water was flowing today. That means reduced flood capacity, not to mention loss of buffer habitat for the creek.
You will recall that the City and its Citizen Advisory Committee have been working on a Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan of which you are a part.(http://redmond.gov/insidecityhall/publicworks/stormwater/floodplan/default.asp). We are finalizing the final draft, planned for adoption in 2008, and it will likely address the needs Bear Creek has related to the SR520 widening."
- Steve Hitch, Public Works, C.O.R.
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Send your comments to city planner Cathy Beam cbeam@redmond.gov as soon as possible to influence the outcome of this neglectful WSDOT plan. Your input (and from your friends) is critical. Originally, WSDOT planned to re-locate Bear Creek to the north and away from 520. It appears they don't want to spend the money to do the job right. As is, Redmond's Shoreline Ordinance will be violated and our required 150 foot Bear Creek buffer will be reduced to 50 feet in places. Bear Creek habitat will be destroyed by this project. It is important to write Redmond city council and mayor with your comments to: mayorcouncil@redmond.gov
In light of observed flooding in the Bear Creek near SR520 (opposite of Marymoor Park), extraordinary caution is justified for this highway project. The time is right to re-evaluate the design criteria and environmental impact for this project
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