The King County Flood Control District Executive Committee met in Renton Wednesday to learn about the effort taking place to enhance flood damage prevention programs along the river corridor. The Cedar River is part of a 22-mile corridor that is the economic backbone of the Puget Sound region.
“The Flood Control District was created to provide a proactive, regional approach to flood control,” said Flood Control District Executive Board Chair Reagan Dunn in a press release. “Investing in projects along the Cedar River, such as protecting Renton’s Municipal Airport and the ensuing economic activity generated by The Boeing Company’s 737 operations from future flooding events is just one of many examples of what the Flood District does to protect residents and the regional economy.”
The Cedar River Corridor plan includes an effort to develop a long-range strategy and action plan for flood protection along the corridor.
The aim of the Cedar River Corridor plan is to develop a plan that will integrate flood inundation, erosion, landslide and channel migration risk reduction with habitat restoration opportunities in the Cedar River Basin. The goal is to have a coordinated and cost-effective approach to designing and building future flood risk reduction projects and to seek opportunities where habitat enhancement projects can be achieved at the same time.
The City of Renton also briefed members on the effort to restore the 100-year conveyance capacity along the lower 1.25 miles of the Cedar River to provide continued flood protection to properties within the urban core of the floodplain. The work to remove accumulated gravel is necessary to provide continued flood protection to properties adjacent to the river.
The conveyance improvement project is currently in the preliminary design and environmental review phase. Final design is expected to begin this fall, with project construction between June 15 and August 31, 2015. Funding for the project is provided by the King County Flood Control District.
Both projects are designed to protect properties that contribute to the economy of the region. Those properties include The Boeing Company’s 737 assembly plant, PACCAR’s Kenworth Truck manufacturing facility, Renton Municipal Airport, residential areas and commercial properties such as The Landing in Renton.
